Mineral inclusions are sometimes found including graphite, enstatite, and tridymite. Cut samples are coated with a clear, spray on finish to provide some protection. The Nantan meteorite was discovered by the local residents of Nandan, China. They tried to melt them, assuming by the weight that they were iron ore. Of 2,600 known meteorites, only 73 are stony-irons, and fewer yet are Pallasites.
Pallasites are some of the most sought after meteorites because of their striking beauty.
Pallasites are mixtures of nickel-iron and silicate minerals, primarily Olivine. Pallasites are thought to have formed in the mantle of a differentiated body. Many of the Imilac Pallasites have been found strewn across a barren desert in Chile. The material found in the Sudbury basin of Ontario is thought to be the result of a massive asteroid or comet impact. The area has been mined for over 100 years, mainly for copper and, and later for nickel.