New York – Christie’s is proud to offer its annual, online-only sale of important meteorites, Deep Impact: Lunar, Martian, and Other Rare Meteorites, which features 68 otherworldly specimens available for bidding 14-28 March. Deep Impact offers collectors a compelling selection of one of the rarest — every known meteorite on Earth collectively weighs less than the world’s annual output of gold —and most sought-after natural wonders. This is a highly attractive sale for all types of collectors; estimates range from $700 to $500,000 and with more than half of the lots offered at no reserve.

Christie’s Head of Department, Science & Natural History, James Hyslop said: “Meteorites inspire us the way no other object can: holding a piece of another world in your hand is an experience you never forget. In this sale we have curated a selection of meteorites that are among the most beautiful and important in the world.”

With no reserve, leading the sale is NWA 12691-The Lunar Necklace (estimate: $140,000 – 200,000), the first and only beaded necklace made of the Moon to appear at auction. Each of the 48 beads in this stunning object weighs approximately 3.66 carats and was expertly fashioned from a lunar meteorite — a piece of the Moon ejected into space as the result of an asteroid impact. The Moon is among the rarest substances on Earth. Every known piece of the Moon extant on our home planet could fit in the back of a large SUV, and much of this material is held by institutions including NASA. Moon rocks are readily identified by specific geological, mineralogical, chemical and radiation signatures and many — including the specimens from which these beads were fabricated — are nearly identical to the Moon rocks returned to Earth by Apollo astronauts.

“If you love her to the Moon and back,” said Christie’s Head of Department, Science & Natural History, James Hyslop, “it’s nice to have something to show for the journey.”

Other important lots include one of the most aesthetic iron meteorites known, featuring a Macovich Collection provenance, it is a Gibeon Meteorite-Epitome of Natural Sculpture From Outer Space (estimate $120,000-180,000). Older than Earth, it originated from the molten core of an asteroid between Jupiter and Mars. With sumptuous curves, this extraterrestrial sculpture also contains a great rarity for a large meteorite — a naturally formed hole. “This meteorite is at the intersection of art, science and existential wonderment — can there be a greater conversation piece?” Said the Macovich Collection Curator, Darryl Pitt.

Also originating from the core of a shattered asteroid is the Henbury Meteorite-Matchless Anthropomorphic Australian Meteorite (estimate: $40,000 – $60,000) which landed in Australia thousands of years ago, and bears a striking semblance to the emoji that communicates awe and wonder — two of the sentiments evoked by this sale.

There are also nine different offerings of pallasitic meteorites — the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. Containing gemstones from outer space including peridot (birthstone of August), estimates range from $2,500 – $150,000. Exemplifying this category is a Select Complete Slice of the Imilac Meteorite, $12,000-18,000.

Highlights also include the oldest matter mankind can touch, the Allende Complete Slice, (estimate: $2,000 – $3,000); a slice of a meteorite that arrived in 1492 that had been chained up in a church so it could not fly back into the sky the same way it arrived (Ensisheim, estimate: $4,000 – 6,000) and from the asteroid Vesta, a 256 pound meteorite from Vesta; as well as the 256 pound meteorite from the asteroid Vesta Jikharra 001 — the fifth-largest object on Earth, whose extraterrestrial home can be seen with the naked eye (estimate: $300,000 – $500,000). The largest examples of the Moon and Mars on Earth are much smaller — and this sale also features numerous specimens of both with estimates ranging from $5,000 – $250,000.