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Author
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Topic: Market prices for lunar meteorites
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Ianhetho
Member Posts: 111
From: Bogangar NSW Australia
Registered: May 2018
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posted 01-18-2020 04:49 PM
   
I am seeking advise on the value of lunar meteorites. It seems to vary greatly over different sites and samples per gram.I am looking for a small sample/slice for a presentation. What would be a good guide per gram for me to go on? Or does it vary too much as my research tells me? Also what is the best paperwork for such an item? Thanks in advance. |
captcrunch227
New Member Posts: 1
From: Denton, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2020
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posted 01-28-2020 12:37 PM
I have VERY limited experience on this but I picked one up recently for around $20 or so. It was really really tiny (12 mg to exact) but still a neat piece to show to the kids at school. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1200
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 01-28-2020 01:20 PM
Aerolite.org is the company I have used most often. Their reputation and experience is without fault in my experience. Their prices are fair - plus you never have to wonder "do I have the real thing?" with them. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4461
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-28-2020 02:47 PM
Least expensive is to wash down your roof after a lengthy dry-spell, collect the output from the gutter through a fine filter and run a magnet through the residue — free meteoritic dust. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1200
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 01-28-2020 02:54 PM
Ew, chores. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43152
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-28-2020 03:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Ianhetho:
What would be a good guide per gram for me to go on?
From Geoff Notkin of Aerolite Meteorites (mentioned by Rich above), How much are meteorites worth? Meteorites are typically sold by weight. The meteorite collecting community uses the metric system so weights are measured in grams and kilograms, and dimensions in centimeters and millimeters.As is the case with most collectibles, the commercial value of a meteorite is determined by a number of factors including rarity of type, provenance, condition of preservation, and beauty or aesthetic appeal. ...rare examples of lunar and Martian meteorites may sell for $1,000/gram or more — almost forty times the current price of gold! |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3114
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 01-28-2020 04:57 PM
Lunar meteorite material did sell for $1,000+ per gram a few years back but it comes down to supply and demand and a number of large finds have been made since then including NWA 10309 (16.5kg) and NWA 11789 (5.5kg) which have pushed the price way down.The price per gram still varies wildly depending on: - the size of an individual specimen - tiny pieces tend to cost more per gram, but so too do the rarer larger pieces
- the type of specimen - attractive polished slices may fetch more than random chunks
- the rarity of the particular meteorite - those from meteorites with very small total known weights will be worth more)
- the visual appeal - e.g. NWA5000 is famously pretty and often fetches more per gram as a result
It's important to be sure you know what you're getting. Buying from a respected dealer is safest. eBay can also be a source for genuine material but there's also some complete garbage on there. |
Dave_Johnson
Member Posts: 112
From:
Registered: Feb 2014
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posted 01-28-2020 05:45 PM
There's a seller on eBay that has lunar meteorites for reasonable prices. They are small, sub-gram fragments for the most part, but are good-sized for the price. I've bought a number of meteorites from him over the past several years.As for documentation, often a seller will provide a small card (usually business-sized) with their info, the name of the meteorite and its weight (at a minimum).
For official meteorites (those which have been submitted for classification, generally), there's the search page for the Meteoritical Bulletin that you can use to view the details about a particular meteorite. |
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