The facts
What iron Meteorite actually is
Iron Meteorite is classified as the metallic core material of a differentiated asteroid - an intergrowth of the nickel-iron alloys kamacite and taenite, with the composition Fe with 5-20% Ni, plus Co, P, S, Ga, Ge and Ir; accessory troilite, schreibersite and cohenite. It crystallises in the aggregate (cubic kamacite and taenite) system.
Colour comes from metallic grey; the Widmanstatten pattern appears only after cutting, polishing and etching with nital, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Specific gravity around 7.20-8.00 - the heft is the first field clue. Cleavage: none; kamacite shows Neumann lines from shock. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where iron Meteorite comes from
Iron Meteorite is produced at Gibeon, Namibia (fine octahedrite; a Namibian national monument), Muonionalusta, Norrbotten, Sweden, Campo del Cielo, Chaco and Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Sikhote-Alin, Primorye, Russia (1947 witnessed fall) and Canyon Diablo, Meteor Crater, Arizona, USA.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How iron Meteorite is treated
Etched with nital to reveal the Widmanstatten pattern, and routinely coated or rhodium-plated for jewellery because it rusts - chloride contamination from desert finds causes progressive 'meteorite disease' and this should be disclosed. LEGAL: GIBEON export from Namibia has been prohibited since the 1980s and the material is a protected national monument, so recently-exported Gibeon is illegal; CAMPO DEL CIELO export from Argentina is prohibited under Chaco provincial law and pieces have been seized; Sikhote-Alin export from Russia is restricted. Old-stock provenance matters commercially and legally.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What iron Meteorite is confused with
In the trade iron Meteorite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Industrial slag and furnace iron (magnetic, but no Ni and no Widmanstatten), Hematite and magnetite ('meteorwrongs'), Manufactured Damascus steel sold as meteorite or Fake etched steel plates.
Because the material is opaque, refractive index is no help. Specific gravity around 7.20-8.00 - the heft is the first field clue, hardness of 4-5, streak and magnification do the work instead.
What iron Meteorite is used for
Demand for iron Meteorite comes from mineral collecting, jewellery and decorative objects, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen, by the carat or by the piece.
Durability and care
Hardness 4-5; cleavage none; kamacite shows Neumann lines from shock. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What iron Meteorite costs
As a guide, iron Meteorite trades around $0.50-3 per gram for Campo del Cielo and common irons; $3-20 per gram for Muonionalusta and Gibeon slices; witnessed falls and rare classes far higher.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is iron Meteorite treated, and how?
Etched with nital to reveal the Widmanstatten pattern, and routinely coated or rhodium-plated for jewellery because it rusts - chloride contamination from desert finds causes progressive 'meteorite disease' and this should be disclosed. LEGAL: GIBEON export from Namibia has been prohibited since the 1980s and the material is a protected national monument, so recently-exported Gibeon is illegal; CAMPO DEL CIELO export from Argentina is prohibited under Chaco provincial law and pieces have been seized; Sikhote-Alin export from Russia is restricted. Old-stock provenance matters commercially and legally.
Where does iron Meteorite come from?
Gibeon, Namibia (fine octahedrite; a Namibian national monument), Muonionalusta, Norrbotten, Sweden, Campo del Cielo, Chaco and Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Sikhote-Alin, Primorye, Russia (1947 witnessed fall) and Canyon Diablo, Meteor Crater, Arizona, USA. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is iron Meteorite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 4-5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does iron Meteorite cost?
Indicatively $0.50-3 per gram for Campo del Cielo and common irons; $3-20 per gram for Muonionalusta and Gibeon slices; witnessed falls and rare classes far higher. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is iron Meteorite confused with?
Most often Industrial slag and furnace iron (magnetic, but no Ni and no Widmanstatten), Hematite and magnetite ('meteorwrongs'), Manufactured Damascus steel sold as meteorite and Fake etched steel plates. Since the material is opaque, separation relies on specific gravity near 7.20-8.00 - the heft is the first field clue, hardness and magnification.
What is iron Meteorite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting and decorative objects. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for iron meteorite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about iron meteorite