GENEVA.- While auctions dedicated to Natural History are experiencing spectacular enthusiasm internationally – as evidenced by the recent results recorded in New York – the Piguet auction house is devoting an entire chapter to this specialty in December.

This exceptional sale will highlight works shaped by geological and cosmic forces over billions of years: fossils, minerals and extraterrestrial rocks come together in a celebration of the raw beauty of nature and the history of the planets. Comprising 60 lots estimated between CHF 100 and CHF 60,000, this museum-quality collection will be exhibited to the public in the Piguet salons from December 4 to 7, with free and open access. The major pieces will be offered at auction during a special evening sale in Geneva on Wednesday, December 10 at 6 p.m., alongside modern and contemporary artworks. The other 55 lots will be sold exclusively online from November 27 to December 10 on piguet.com.

“Our selection brings together pieces of great rarity: from lunar and Martian meteorites to scientific discoveries such as the NWA 15915 meteorite, certainly originating from a planet that has since disappeared! Combining scientific significance, remarkable aesthetics and universal fascination, these pieces belong just as much in a contemporary cabinet of curiosities as in an art collection,” says Claire Piguet, director and auctioneer.

Major and spectacular pieces.

Among the standout lots is a spectacular complete skull of Xiphactinus, a formidable predatory fish from the Cretaceous. Capable, according to palaeontologists, of swallowing an unwary small dinosaur, it embodies on its own the power of ancient marine ecosystems (lot 3, est. CHF 60,000–80,000).

The great Ice Age faunas are also represented, notably by a mammoth tusk and leg (lot 1, est. CHF 40,000–60,000, and lot 2, est. CHF 20,000–30,000), recalling the collective imagination popularized by the famous Manny from the Ice Age films. A T-Rex tooth and an Anzu wyliei claw (a raptor-type species) refer to another famous American blockbuster (lots 2073 and 2071).

The journey continues into the heart of the cosmos with a rare collection of meteorites, including a recent lunar discovery showing exceptional traces of aqueous alteration (lot 5, est. CHF 15,000–25,000). Several Martian fragments provide direct testimony on the geological and volcanic history of the Red Planet (lot 4, est. CHF 20,000–25,000, and lot 2050, est. CHF 12,000–18,000). An imposing ammonite from the Late Cretaceous (lot 2086, est. CHF 12,000–18,000) completes this exceptional ensemble.

Meteorites: a booming market

The meteorite market has been experiencing steady growth for more than fifteen years. Specimens of lunar or Martian origin are particularly rare: produced by colossal impacts that propel fragments into space, they reach Earth only after a long interplanetary journey. Their discovery is highly unlikely, as they must encounter our planet’s orbit and then avoid crashing into forests or water, given that 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water.

Often found in deserts, where they are more easily spotted, meteorites are then analysed, classified and recorded by scientific institutes in the Meteoritical Bulletin.

Focus on a few highlight pieces:

• Marine monster: Xiphactinus audax, Late Cretaceous (100–66 million years)

Discovered in the Kansas desert, this specimen was meticulously extracted from its original matrix to be reconstructed in three dimensions, requiring the assistance of the best specialists over several months. The fineness and extreme fragility of the bones made this work particularly perilous and make this piece an absolutely unique specimen. The striking dynamism of its posture — gaping jaws with sharp teeth — gives Xiphactinus a spectacular presence. Lot 3 – Estimate: CHF 60,000–80,000

• Gibeon Meteorite

Originating from an asteroid formed more than 4 billion years ago, the Gibeon meteorite crashed into the Kalahari Desert (Namibia) several millennia ago. Its characteristic regmaglypts — impressions sculpted by the intense heating during its passage through the atmosphere — make it a true natural work of art. Lot 2049 – Estimate: CHF 20,000–25,000

• Lunar Meteorite Oued el Hamim 001

Recent discovery, classified in 2024 by the University of New Mexico, this lunar meteorite stands out for the presence of partially transformed and altered minerals, indicating prolonged contact with an aqueous fluid, an extremely rare phenomenon since the Moon has not possessed liquid water for more than 3 billion years. It opens several hypotheses: the alteration may have been caused by locally melted ice after a meteoritic impact, or by internal volatiles resulting from ancient volcanic eruptions. Lot 5 – Estimate: CHF 15,000–25,000

• Meteorite NWA 15915

Belonging to the 0.2% of meteorites not associated with any known parent body, this exceptional specimen is thought to come from a planet that no longer exists today, destroyed during the formation of the solar system. On the market, its price already exceeds CHF 700 per gram. Lot 2053 – Estimate: CHF 4,000–6,000 (weight: 42 g)

• Martian meteorite NEA 053

Less than 300 kg of Martian rock have been identified to date. NEA 053, a Martian meteorite of the shergottite type, discovered in Libya, is a valuable witness to the geological and volcanic history of Mars. Lot 2050 – Estimate: CHF 12,000–18,000