Widmanstätten Pattern, Secret Words from Outer Space

The earliest finely polished stone tools were in used in as early as 10,000 BC. By 1500 BC, iron smelting was developed. The use of iron tools enhanced the ability of human beings to become the master of their environment and early humans were already able to use very complex metal processing to produce iron tools.

Surprisingly, the earliest iron minerals were meteorites. Early humans regarded the iron blocks that fell from the sky as sacred gifts from God and the universe. Humans believed that meteorites were imbued with magical healing properties. These revered, sacred stones provided man with the first knowledge of iron. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a meteorite, you're holding one of the oldest and rarest objects on Earth with a historical heritage.

Iron Meteorite

The "Muonionalusta meteorite" from Sweden is one of the oldest meteorite discovered by man. It belongs to the iron core of an ancient planetary body. It is classified as an iron meteorite (mainly composed of iron, nickel and iron) composed of Namibian "Gibeon" iron (commonly known as G iron). The Muonionalusta meteorite is an excellent choice for meteorite jewellery and handicrafts. It is deeply loved by enthusiasts and has the fastest price growth. One of its important features is the high content of nickel. The content of nickel in natural iron on earth is generally less than 1%, while the content of nickel in M-iron meteorites is 9%.

Muonionalusta Meteorite Pattern

Most Muonionalusta meteorites have a unique crystal structure, known as the Widmanstätten texture, it is an incredible meteorological fingerprint and is named after the Austrian Count Alois von Beckh Widmanstätten who discovered this pattern in 1808.

The Widmanstätten texture, also known as the Thomson structure, is a unique long nickel-iron crystal found in the Muonionalusta meteorite. They include some intertwined cones and nickel textures. The pattern is full of geometric artistic beauty. And thus the Muonionalusta meteorite is extremely valued as material for ornamental and artistic craft making. It is known as one of the most beautiful etched meteorites, reminiscent of the calligraphic paintings of Mark Tobey and Brian Gethin.

This textured structure runs through the entire meteorite. If you polish the surface of the tested meteorite sample and soak it in an acid solution composed of 10% concentrated nitric acid and 90% alcohol for about one minute, the pattern will appear. The nickel content of each meteorite is different, and the time required for etching is also different, usually from a range of 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once the meteorite has been etched by acid, it usually needs to be neutralized with a strong base (such as sodium carbonate), washed and dried, and finally protected with anti-rust oil.

This unique Widmanstätten texture came about only when the molten core of the meteorite was cooled in the depth of space for a very long time. The crystal pattern depends on the chemical composition of the initial iron-nickel melt in the meteorite's parent body and the cooling rate of the parent body. The crystal pattern was formed by an extremely slow cooling process of one degree per thousand years. The symbiosis of ferruginous stone is the perfect combination of time, pressure and temperature. The formation of the Widmanstätten texture in each octahedral iron meteorite takes about 20 to 200 million years.

Widmanstätten Pattern CAD

This hard-earned Widmanstätten texture is direct evidence of the beginning of our solar system, a masterpiece of cosmic forces acting directly on asteroids, as old or older than the Earth itself. The unique texture structure also brings endless inspiration to artists and jewellery designers. 

Rolex Day-Date 118206 Watch

Rolex, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, these world famous watch brands have also used the Swedish Muonionalusta meteorite to make their own limited edition watches and are highly sought after by collectors around the world. As a Nordic luxury jewellery brand, we take "exploring rare natural materials containing spiritual energy" as our core principle, and integrates Muonionalusta meteorites with natural spar, directly presenting the geometric beauty of the Widmanstätten texture in our jewellery design. The meteorite is used for pendant decoration to create energy jewellery with cutting-edge style. Each meteorite jewellery can awaken the inner potential of the wearer, bringing protection and healing.

Explore AWNL Interstellar Collection 

"When we read the textures and patterns of gems and minerals, think of them as tools for unraveling the mysteries of the universe."

Excerpt from "Writing in Stone" by the French biologist Roger Caillois.

When the wearer holds a Muonionalusta meteorite with the pattern of Widmanstätten, they do not seek self-knowledge or precognition of their own destiny, but instead lets the universe be the spiritual guide, taking them to the deepest part of time.