How to Identify a Meteorite
(So what do I do if I think I have a meteorite?)

Once you have gone through all of these steps and you still think you have a meteorite, email me and I will help you decide if you actually have one. Here is what I will ask:

• Does it have crust?
• Is a magnet attracted to it?
• Does it have native iron?
• Do you have a photo you can email me? (address is meteoritemarket@gmail.com)

My goal is to be the most polite and helpful person that you can go to for help. But be aware that while it is not too difficult to be the best, it is sometimes quite difficult to be polite. People in the meteorite business receive large numbers of requests. Some requests are good but many are frivolous or ignorant--and some are fraudulent. Many dealers and researchers tire of this and are not very receptive to questions. I try not to be that way.

So, if I look at your information and photo and I think you might have a meteorite, I will ask the following of you:

• Send me a sample of at least 20 grams or 20% of the meteorite, whichever is less. (If your meteorite is from Canada, then we will have to pursue an alternative course.)
• Send me return postage so I can send it back (if you want it back) if it is not a meteorite.

If you are unwilling to send a piece to me, I may be able to suggest the name of a person or institution in your area where you can have it examined. (In this case, I cannot guarantee the expertise of the person examining. In more than one instance meteorites have been misidentified as earth rocks by well-meaning people who were not all that familiar with these rocks.) I will say that in my experience, the more a rock is protected--e.g., kept in a safe deposit box, won't let it out of my sight, won't let on what part of the country it was found in because of fear of theft, etc., etc.--the less likely that rock is to be a meteorite.

Once I have a sample of your rock, I will take these steps:

• I will identify whether or not your rock is a meteorite. (If I cannot tell, I will discuss it with other experts.)
• I will collect further information from you regarding the location and circumstances of the find or fall. This information must be detailed and verifiable.
• I will fill out this form: http://meteoriticalsociety.org/pub_bulletinsubmit.cfm and submit it to the Meteoritical Society.
• I will identify and contact a researcher who specializes in the kind of meteorite that you have and get a commitment to do the scientific classification work in some reasonable about of time. I will then forward the sample you sent to the researcher. (The 20 gram or 20% sample you submitted will be donated to the institution that classifies the meteorite.)
• Once the classification is done, I will finish completing the above form and seek acceptance of the meteorite by the Meteoritical Society and publication of your meteorite in the Meteoritical Bulletin. .

I will do the above at no cost to you. Once your meteorite has been accepted, you may want to sell it. I may be a buyer or make you an offer. If you want to keep it or sell it to someone else, that is fine too. I will not buy a meteorite that has not been classified unless I believe that it is a unique meteorite and will be accepted by the Meteoritical Society.

Back to The Meteorite Market home page.