any meteorite collectors?

I have heard meteorites is a booming hobby. I watched meteorite men and found it interesting. Lived in the southwest for a couple of years and spent a lot of time in the desert. Kicking myself because I wish I had known that it seems the place to hunt for meteorites.

But how do you tell the difference between a meteorite and a rock? Other then the metal detector? or do only meteorites contain metals?

reply to post by nixie_nox


I wouldn't call myself a collector but I bought a small tin full, from a rock shop that was going out of business in Quartsite, Arizona a number of years back. They are mainly nickle and Iron from what I've been told.
At the same shop I bought a fair amount of gold nuggets. Today...$$$$

I sheepishly admit that we jokingly(ok, not totally jokingly) searched for gold when out in the desert. It seems I would of had much better luck searching for meteorites.

I just don't know how people tell the difference between those and other rocks.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I sheepishly admit that we jokingly(ok, not totally jokingly) searched for gold when out in the desert. It seems I would of had much better luck searching for meteorites.

I just don't know how people tell the difference between those and other rocks.

Mine look like pieces of melted metal or slag.

reply to post by whaaa


It does look like pieces of melted metal. But the ones they show on meteor men looked just like rocks.

I like rocks too. I like looking at them, sorting through them. I appreciate geology. I wonder if I ever came across any on my hikes and searches.

And I wonder why just the desert? But I guess it makes them easy to find. As opposed to a mossy, plant covered forest floor.

[edit on 13-2-2010 by nixie_nox]

reply to post by nixie_nox


I have heard that serious meteor hunters, hunt on frozen lakes on snowmobiles after a wind has blown all the snow off the ice.

It would stand to reason that a rock found on a frozen lake would stand a good chance of being a meteor.

I have done some placer mining here in the Rockies and at the time it was more work than it was worth but with gold at over 1k spot price, it's a different story.

Ok so I learned from the show that the next field test they do is to see if it is magnetic, because of the iron. If it is magnetic, then they take it.

But can there be meteorites that are not magnetic?