Stony-Iron Meteorites For Sale

Pallasite-PMG, Found in Kansas, 1881 The Admire pallasite dates back to 1881—originally listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin as “Illinois,” the first specimen was found when a farmer in Lyon County struck it with his plow. Since that first chance encounter, several masses have been unearthed, including a 223-pound meteorite pulled out of the ground by “Meteorite Men” hosts Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold. These lovely part slices, crystals and “nuggets” are from the same strewnfield, but an altogether different rock. The slices were expertly prepared and are beautifully appointed. The “nuggets” are created when the pallasite is being stabilized; they truly look like visitors-from-outer space. The crystals are whole and tumbled. Imagine adding an entire pallasite crystal to your collection!

Mesosiderite-B4 Found in Southern Tagalog, Philippines, 1956 The story of the recovery of the Bondoc mesosiderite is one of perseverance- and nearly killed four men. Though many doubted the mass was of meteoritic origin, H. H. Nininger insisted samples be sent to him from the site to be tested and had enlisted the help of John A. Lednicky, a graduate from the University of Kansas, to move the giant stone. Lednicky had to walk for nine hours along a reportedly snake and crocodile-ridden river to reach the stone. Which would cost about $3,700 in the early 1960s to move; today, that would be about $38,414. Though smaller than Lednicky’s men had reported, three caribous were unable to move the 1,955-pound (~887-kilogram) mass, which had been loaded onto a sled. A large bulldozer had to be brought in to move the Bondoc to the mouth of the river, where it would then be placed on a raft they constructed out of bamboo, to transport the behemoth down the river and across a stretch of the sea. A typhoon temporarily derailed the meteorite’s journey; two motorized boats had to be employed to stabilize the raft and when one of the boats sank, nearly killing 4 men. Once ashore, the meteorite was taken by truck, with great difficulty, to Manila. Once there, the meteorite was carefully crated and shipped to the United States, after many delays and run-ins with red tape. In his book Find a Falling Star, Nininger wrote that “John Lednicky put three and half years of effort and frustration into the ‘favor’ he had offered in late 1958. Without him the Bondoc meteorite would never have been recovered.” The iron examples of this material are described as Bondoc nodules. Some of the matrix survived in excellent condition. These are described as Bondoc silicates.

Pallasite, PMG Found in Belarus, Russia, 1810 First discovered 0.4 km nothern of the village of Ljady, Bragin district in Belarus, Brahin is among the most alluring of pallasites. Displaying rich, sea-green olivine (peridot) crystals, these outstanding laboratory prepared slices show a high olivine density (approximately 80%), with colorful crystals appearing suspended in a delicate lattice of shiny metal. Cut thin for maximum translucency, and expertly prepared in one of the world’s top labs to show off their bright nickel-iron matrix.

Pieces of the Brenham pallasite were said to be used by Native Americans during The Hopewell era to fabricate iron knives, chisels, buttons, jewelry, and beads. Ever the travelers, these space rocks were found as many as 1,000 miles from their purported fall site, having been transported by Native Americans.  In 1882, Eliza Kimberly found the first pieces of Brenham to be positively identified and examined by an academic institution, which was Washburn College, Topeka, Kanasa. Professor F. W. Cragin, who examined the strange visitors, purchased a few. He was followed by Clyde Fisher of the American Museum of Natural History, who excavated more pieces, and even Harvery Nininger himself, who visited the locale in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1949, a particularly spectacular Brenham mass was discovered by meteorite collector H.O. Stockwell—who also had a part in recovering the Bondoc meteorite. At the time, the gargantuan 453.6 mass was known as “The World’s Largest Pallasite Meteorite.” Stockwell had experience as an electronics repairman and had designed a metal detector specifically for meteorite hunting; with help from the Hedden Company, Stockwell ended up with a contraption that looked like a radio mounted on a wooden wheelbarrow. Now called “The Space Wanderer,” Stockwell’s original nickname for his find, the mass is currently displayed at The Big Well museum in Greensburg, Kansas. The city had purchased the mass from Stockwell for $1,250 in 1949—estimated to be equivalent to about $15,910 in 2024. Fast-forward to 2005, geologist Philip Mani and hunter Steve Arnold uncovered the largest fragment of Brenham yet found. The hulking mass weighs in at a whopping 650 kilograms and is currently housed in a private collection.

Mesosiderite-A Found in Australia, 1921 If you know a thing or two about meteorites, you probably know that the ones with wacky names usually come from Australia. One such space rock, Dalgaranga, was found in 1921 after the discovery of the impact crater by an Aboriginal stockman in the same year. The Dalgaranga crater is of note as its one of Australia’s smallest impact craters and the only crater known to have been formed by a rare mesosiderite. Harvey H. Nininger, considered by many to be the father of contemporary meteoritics, was the first to recognize the Dalgaranga meteorite as a mesosiderite. The crater is believed to be approximately 270,000 years old, making Dalgaranga one of Earth’s oldest meteorites. Specimens are weathered, but still adhere strongly to a good magnet.

Mesosiderite Found in Tidouf, Algeria in 2023 Mesosiderites make up half of the stony-iron group — the rarest of the three main types of meteorites as of 2023 there are only 256 known pallasites. Originally thought to have a similar origin story to their stony-iron “cousins,” the pallasites, they are now believed to be entirely unique. While pallasites frequently show a consistent distribution of their nickel-iron and silicate components, the interiors of mesosiderites are irregular. El Eglab 001 is a particularly excellent example of the brecciated and heterogeneous structure that is typical of mesosiderites. Note the large and highly prominent spherical nickel-iron inclusions, suspended in a mottled silicate and metal matrix. Similar nodules are seen in the Bondoc mesosiderite (found, 1956, Philippines), but those are stand-alone pieces as the silicate matrix that once enclosed them has, by and large, corroded away.

Pallasite, PMG Found in China, 2000 An extremely beautiful pallasite characterized by extraordinarily large and colorful olivine crystals. The main mass was discovered in 2000, and this meteorite has rapidly become a favorite among collectors due to the stunning and enormous olivine crystals. The absolute finest display piece.

First discovered in the late 19th Century, Glorieta is one of the most remarkable and desirable American meteorites. The Glorieta strewnfield’s terrain is notoriously rugged and difficult to navigate and, over the years, scouring its steep and dangerous slopes has been a right of passage for the most determined of meteorite hunters

Golden Pallasite You won’t find this meteorite listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin, but it’s an authentic pallasite found in Northwest Africa in 2021. Currently unclassified, it’s called the “Golden Pallasite” because this meteorite has a unique patina that appears to glitter like gold in the sunshine. Some Golden Pallasite pieces have been sandblasted into beautiful shapes, a term used to describe the process where windblown sand sculpts the surface of a meteorite over the course of many, many years. Golden Pallasite specimens often display large olivine crystals embedded in an iron-nickel matrix. Pallasites are extremely rare and are believed to have formed in asteroidal collisions that occurred an estimated 4.5 billion years ago when iron from an asteroid mixed with the material in the mantle of another, larger asteroid. As of 2022, out of approximately 69,000 officially recognized meteorites, there are only 154 known pallasites.

Pallasite, PMG-an Found in Australia, 1924 The Huckitta meteorite was recovered in 1937 from Huckitta Cattle Station in Australia. The history of cattle stations began in the early 1880s with Aborigines playing an important role as stockmen. In 1924, a small 1,084 gram mass, dubbed Alice Springs, was found in the area. 13 years later the main mass was recovered, weighing in at 1,411 kilos. Historically, darker pieces are thought to come from the larger, main mass and pieces containing olivine come from the smaller mass. Huckitta is considered anomalous for its elemental abundances; examining the interior of a sliced specimen will reveal as much, as it just doesn’t look quite like other pallasites; it is known for its very dark, altered olivine crystals and terrestrialized iron matrix. Classified as a pallasite, the 1,411.5 kilogram main mass is severely weathered. In fact, some pieces display such advanced stages of terrestrial weathering that the nickel-iron matrix has been transformed into iron oxides hematite and magnetite. Thousands of pounds of iron shale that had weathered off the meteorite were also collected from the find site.

Pallasite, PMG Found in Chile, 1822 Imilac was found in Chile in 1822 and is classified as a pallasite, perhaps the most alluring of all meteorites, and certainly of great interest to collectors and enthusiasts. They are extremely rare; pallasites consist of a nickel-iron matrix rich in colorful olivine crystals and are believed to have formed at the core/mantle boundary of large asteroids. Out of nearly 65,000 officially recognized meteorites, there are only 130 known pallasites. Of these, Imilac’s olivine grains are among the most beautiful and alluring. Some pieces, called “metal skeletons,” have also been seen on the meteorite market; these are severely weathered pieces that lack olivine grains. The Imilac meteorite was found in the Atacama Desert, a desert plateau in South America that is the driest non-polar desert in the world. It’s been the site for a number of Mars analog experiments, whereby scientists test research and exploration methods, technology, and equipment. The desert’s otherworldly appearance has made it a popular destination for filming Mars scenes. Due to its extreme conditions – negligible cloud cover, lack of light pollution and radio interference, and high altitude – the Atacama Desert is a prime location for conducting astronomical observations, and its home to a number of astronomy projects and telescopes.

Pallasite, PMG-an Found in Northwest Africa, 2014 This is a truly remarkable find from the northern deserts of Africa: an astoundingly vibrant pallasite with olivine colors ranging from tangerine all the way to lime green. There is a significantly high crystal density among the iron and they vary from small clusters to large, attention-seeking individuals. In order to best display the interior, we have various slices that are polished on one face and etched on the other. Plus, each slice is cut thin in order to boost the transparency of the olivine crystals and allow one to create a brilliant, artistic show of color when presented with light, even if the light source may be quite dim. It is an unequivocally luxurious and bold pallasite.

Northwest Africa 7154 (Name Provisional) Found in Northwest Africa Mesosiderites are a unique and understudied variety of meteorite, consisting of both nickel-iron and silicate in approximately equal parts. The breccias have an irregular texture, so they will reveal tremendous mixtures of metal and stone when cut and polished.

New! NWA 15428 (provisional) Pallasite specimens often display large olivine crystals embedded in an iron-nickel matrix. Pallasites are extremely rare and are believed to have formed in asteroidal collisions that occurred an estimated 4.5 billion years ago when iron from an asteroid mixed with the material in the mantle of another, larger asteroid. TKW 1.7kg, 700g is small, only 10 full slices in circulation. These beauties are also stabilized.

Pallasite Found in Eastern Kenya, 2017 Sericho pallasite is an amazing discovery. Although recorded in 2016 and officially recognized as a meteorite in 2017, local lore has it that several large Sericho masses had been known to exist for generations. Pure olivine (peridot) is naturally green, but Sericho’s sojourn on Earth has caused its crystals to terrestrialize and acquire yellow, orange, and brown hues. While pallasites are typically considered to be composed approximately 50% olivine and 50% nickel-iron, Sericho has a particularly high crystal density, with estimates putting it at 70–80% olivine.

Pallasite, PMG Found in Magadan district, USSR, 1967 Seymchan is the meteorite that kept on getting more interesting as time went on. First discovered during the summer of 1967 by the Russian geologist F. A. Mednikov, it was originally classified as a IIE iron meteorite. In the early 2000s, meteorite hunters associated with the Vernadsky Institute in Moscow returned to the site in the hope of finding additional specimens. They did. And there were amazed to discover not iron meteorites, but pallasites — stony-iron meteorites encrusted with olivine crystals. Their finds resulted in a rare classification change in the scientific literature: in 2007 van Niekerk et al. revised the designation for Seymchan from iron to pallasite. Seymchan has an unusual structure: some areas display olivine-rich clusters, while others consist almost entirely of nickel-iron. During its tumultuous flight through the atmosphere and subsequent impact, it is easy to imagine the meteoritic masses of Seymchan shearing at the nickel-iron/olivine borders. Some pieces, therefore, appear to be entirely metallic, while others appear pallasitic. This explains why Mednikov found what he assumed to be an entirely iron, or sideritic meteorite, while later expeditions found what they assumed to be pallasites.

Mesosiderite, A-1 Found in Chile, 1861 Stony-irons are by far the rarest of the three main classes of meteorites; the others being irons and stones. Mesosiderites and pallasites make up the stony-irons and Vaca Muerta (Spanish for “dead cow”) is a rare example of the mesosiderite type. First discovered in 1861 by prospectors looking for rare metals, the Vaca Muerta meteorite comes from a difficult-to-reach area in Chile’s vast Atacama Desert. The area has been extensively hunted since the 1960s and examples of this meteorite only rarely come to market.