How do I know a meteorite is authentic?

Every authentic meteorite in this collection arrives with documentation of its official classification, recovery location, and geological identity. Meteorites are classified by established international bodies including the Meteoritical Society, and each specimen's classification is part of its provenance record. This documentation is what distinguishes genuine meteorite specimens from terrestrial rocks and from unclassified material of uncertain origin.

What is the difference between iron and stony meteorites?

Iron meteorites formed in the cores of differentiated asteroids - bodies large enough to have melted and separated into layers of metal and rock. They are composed primarily of iron and nickel and often show a distinctive crystalline Widmanstatten pattern when cut and etched. Stony meteorites are the most common type and include chondrites, which contain chondrules - tiny spherical structures that formed in the early solar nebula over 4.5 billion years ago, making them among the oldest solid material in existence.

Are meteorites legal to buy and own?

Yes. Meteorites that have fallen on private land or been recovered from legal international sources are legal to buy, sell, and own in the United States. Each authentic meteorite in this collection is sourced through established and legal channels, and its provenance documentation reflects its legal status. Meteorites recovered from government land in the USA are subject to different regulations and are not included in this collection.

Collection: Meteorites - Authentic Extraterrestrial Specimens

Our Meteorites collection offers something no other category in natural history can match: material that formed before the Earth itself. Every piece is a genuine authentic meteorite - a fragment of asteroid or planetary body that survived atmospheric entry and billions of years of space travel to reach the surface of our planet.

Meteorite specimens are the oldest objects you can hold. Iron meteorites preserve the solidified cores of differentiated asteroids. Stony meteorite specimens carry chondrules formed in the solar nebula over 4.5 billion years ago - before any planet existed. Each of our authentic meteorites arrives with documentation of its classification, recovery location, and geological identity, making them among the most rigorously provenance-documented extraterrestrial collectibles available.

For the natural history collector, meteorite specimens occupy a category of their own - not a fossil, not a mineral deposit, but a visitor from deep space whose story predates everything else in your collection.

Also in the Natural History Collection

Fossil Casts & Skeletal Reproductions · Authentic Fossil Specimens · Hominid | Human Series · Dinosaur Eggs · Natural History Education Kits · Minerals & Gems · Meteorites · Relics & Artifacts