Items for sale at auction literally out of this world

A meteorite that is millions of years old and that may have existed through four separate ice ages is up for sale at an auction house in the British county of West Sussex in a sale that is likely to attract several Chinese buyers.

Specialists at Summers Place Auctions in Billingshurst said the collection of meteorites at the Sixth Evolution sale is likely to be of interest to Chinese collectors.

The auction house specializes in natural history auctions and, as well as the five meteorites on offer, bidders will have the chance to get their hands-on minerals, fossils, taxidermy, and a mammoth skeleton.

The auctioneers said meteorites are often overlooked by collectors in the West but have been popular with collectors from the Chinese mainland.

"There is such an interest in the natural world and there is a greater appreciation for some objects that perhaps don't look that interesting to Western collectors," said Rupert van der Werff, a specialist at Summers Place Auctions. "Meteorites are lumps of metal, but the come from outer space and the best market in the world is in China, that's where the main collectors are."

A large fragment thought to be from the Muonionalusta meteorite, which weighs about 69.6 kilograms and which crashed to earth in Northern Scandinavia four ice ages ago, is distinctive because of its heavily weathered surface.

Summers Place Auctions said the piece, which is likely to sell for between 25,000 and 40,000 pounds ($32,000- 51,000), has not been cleaned since its discovery.

Among the meteorite collection is a colossal Gibeon meteorite from the Namibian desert weighing 93 kilograms, which is estimated to fetch 60,000 pounds. A slightly smaller one weighing 63 kilograms is likely to sell for 50,000 pounds.

Two smaller meteorites from North Africa are also included in the sale.

Among other lots for sale is a stalactite said to have been removed during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam in the late 20th century. Stalactites are icicle-shaped formations that hang from the ceilings of caves that are produced by precipitation of minerals from water dripping through the cave ceiling.

Summers Place Auctions added that it is keen to keep exploring the Chinese market.

"The business potential is huge with China, the interest is enormous," Van der Werff said. "The difficulties are decreasing with doing business there and that is enabling more opportunities for trade both ways."

The Evolution auction is on Tuesday, Nov 20.