Meteorites collected worldwide are rarer than diamonds, rocks originating from outer space ("sky rocks") with a great deal of energy and information from the Universe. And Brazilian meteorites, despite their geographical size, represent only 3.43% of the global total.

LAZZERINI-GEOJOIAS brings this cosmic richness for you to enjoy and experience with a Portuguese link-style necklace plated in 18k gold, with a pendant in a gold-plated stainless steel and glass image medallion; containing a blade fragment (2.35 ct) of the Brazilian meteorite Santa Vitória do Palmar/RS type Chondrite L3 and a mini fantasy gold bar (5.95 ct). Exclusive Geoarte representing rarity, beauty and value beyond our planet Earth.

History: Amidst the Holocene dunes on the shores of Lagoa Mirim, in the far south of Rio Grande do Sul, an unexpected find interrupted a collector's search for indigenous arrowheads. It was March 2003 when Roberto Maciel came across a dark 34 kg stone, its surface marked by deep regmaglyptus pits, which immediately raised suspicions about its cosmic origin. Unbeknownst to him, he had found one of the most important meteorites ever recorded in southern Brazil: the Santa Vitória do Palmar Meteorite.

Physical characteristics: All three stones, weighing approximately 34 kg, 4.34 kg, and 1.57 kg, respectively, are at least partially covered by fusion crust.

Petrography: It is a non-brecciated chondrite with unbalanced olivine and pyroxene, and Fe- and Ni-rich metal. The chondrules are well defined and exhibit great variation in textural types, including BO, BP, PO, POP, and PP.

Mineral composition: Olivine (Fa 0.5–35.2 ), pyroxene (Fs 0.5–31.6 ).

Classification: Ordinary chondrite (L3); S4, W2.

Ordinary chondrite: An important class of chondrites, distinguished by subsolar Mg/Si and refractory/Si ratios, oxygen isotopic compositions above the terrestrial fractionation line, and a large volume percentage of chondrules, with only 10-15% by volume of fine-grained matrix.

L group: The low-iron (L) chemical group of ordinary chondrites, distinguished by its relatively low content of siderophilic elements, moderately sized chondrules (~0.7 mm), and oxygen isotopic compositions intermediate between the ordinary chondrites of the H and LL groups.

Type 3: Designates chondrites characterized by an abundance of chondrules, a low degree of aqueous alteration, and disequilibrium mineral assemblages. Many of the low-calcium pyroxene grains are monoclinic and exhibit polysynthetic twinning. Type 3 chondrites can be divided into subtypes ranging from 3.00 (less metamorphosed) to 3.9 (almost metamorphosed at type 4 levels). If primary igneous glass is present in the chondrules, the chondrite belongs to type 3.

They represent the most common type of meteorite and hold within them information that helps scientists unravel the formation of the solar system. The term "chondrite" originates from "chondrules," which correspond to small granule-shaped formations encased in a solid matrix. These granules represent the primordial matter of the gas cloud that originated the solar system with all the planets and the sun. The material contained in these meteorites is practically identical to the material found in the sun, with the exception of light materials such as hydrogen and helium. Thus, chondrite meteorites are of fundamental importance to science, as they allow us to open a window to the past of 4.5 billion years and analyze the primitive substances and structures present at this stage of evolution of the solar system.

Today, the Santa Vitória do Palmar meteorite is recognized as a preserved record of the original solar nebula, an ancient rock that carries crucial information about the chemistry, physics, and thermal history of the first solid bodies in the Solar System. Studying this type of chondrite is like going back in time to the beginnings of planetary formation, accessing data that no probe or telescope can reach. It is, therefore, a true scientific gem from southern Brazil, whose history, although marked by losses and neglect, still illuminates the paths of modern cosmochemistry.

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