Meteorite Rush! Mom Stumbles Onto Meteorite Worth About $20,000

When I was reading about the meteorite that fell to Earth, it never once occurred to me that pieces of it would be so valuable. Apparently, it doesn't take much of a meteorite to make a buck!

The rock Brenda Salveson found is 17 grams, equal to just over a tablespoon of sugar. But when it comes in the form of an asteroid, its weight has no boundaries.

I gather from the article people are going out and actually trying to find pieces.

“I’ve been out here my third day now,” said Robert Clark of Grass Valley. “Found one piece, one gram.” Gold is so 1840s out here. Meteorites are the new treasure.

I would never have thought to go meteorite hunting, but I tell you, if one lands in my corner of the world I'll be right out there trying to find a little piece to keep all to myself!

At no point does the article explain how the value was determined, or who the buyer is, or even if there is a buyer.

Any ATSers near the landing point?

Source: CBS Sacramento

Hope they brought their Geiger counters.



If one lands in my backyard. I'm keeping it.

What the heck how come the price has gone up so much.

I went to NASA's Space Camp more than a decade ago and they passed around a 5-6kg meteorite for us to examine. IIRC they only said it was worth a high 4 digits back then, only around $6k-$7k


Whats so special about the one she found?


Maybe NASA has found some sort of super rare space element in them?

Originally posted by Nick_X
What the heck how come the price has gone up so much.

I went to NASA's Space Camp more than a decade ago and they passed around a 5-6kg meteorite for us to examine. IIRC they only said it was worth a high 4 digits back then, only around $6k-$7k


Whats so special about the one she found?


Maybe NASA has found some sort of super rare space element in them?

I have no clue what's so special about hers. That's why I specifically stated in the original post that the article doesn't state why it's worth so much or who determined the value, because 20k sounded really high!

I'm hoping an ATSer can come and explain what might be so unique about this particular one, that is apparently tablespoon-sized.

I too went to Space Camp about 20 years ago and we were allowed to touch and hold -quite a few I think- meteorites which no one mentioned the value of, ever.

Also, near where I live there is a museum in a college, open to the public only one day a week, where they have something like over 100 meteorites that anyone can just walk in a touch. I specifically went there once I found that out just so I could get to feel them.

wow,

sucks tho my 5lb canyon diablo is worth CRAP now

reply to post by Ameilia


I am fairly sure that the US government now has the right to violently raid her house in order to take the meteorite.
She better watch out.

reply to post by Ameilia

Indeed.....The planet is 4 billion years old, give or take. These are valued by the gram.

I don't have a very nice, sophisticated metal detector for hunting bottle caps on the local swim area.

It's a hobby I'd recommend for anyone. It's a great excuse to get out in the real world and off the net for awhile. lol I haven't found much yet, but I like my odds better than Powerball and it's healthier.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Ameilia

 

Indeed.....The planet is 4 billion years old, give or take. These are valued by the gram.

I don't have a very nice, sophisticated metal detector for hunting bottle caps on the local swim area.

It's a hobby I'd recommend for anyone. It's a great excuse to get out in the real world and off the net for awhile. lol I haven't found much yet, but I like my odds better than Powerball and it's healthier.

edit on 3-5-2012 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

If you ever start a thread about your metal detecting I would be highly interested so please shoot a U2U so I don't accidentally miss that.

I did my backyard, but I've never had the nerve to go the public areas and do it. (Small woman here.)

reply to post by Ameilia

I'm planning to get up on my folks property out in the country after finals later this month and see what I can hit on around their woods. There is a creek with pretty high volume roaring flood water a couple times a year across their property too. If I find anything, well the idea of making a thread hadn't crossed my mind. Now I suppose I will. Thanks for the idea! I didn't think anyone would be much interested since it's not like I've hit on a bucket of Morgans (One guy here did after an old building was demolished) or anything else to pay bills with.

I figure I only need to get lucky once tho...and that American Digger's show has rekindled my interest.

Originally posted by BiggerPicture
wow,

sucks tho my 5lb canyon diablo is worth CRAP now

Not true, it is worth more now than ever. The meteorite market is largely based on the hype over new finds and lately, the media programming has also brought this subject up to an unprecedented public awareness. Your collection gets a boost every time this happens now. The inrush of meteorites from NWA is subsiding as well, which dropped meteorite prices in the early 2000's. It is a whole new ballgame. This stuff is much rarer than gold, and the prices are just going to keep rising (unless a few thousand tons falls somewhere).

how about if i found car size meteorit?? any one want to buy it? i give you for FREE..because it felt to my house, and i am dead already kwkwkwk

Here is one site I've got bookmarked for rough values.... There are some on here that would get me a tank of gas and there are some on there that would pay my mortgage for a year. I figure they all came from above, and could have landed anywhere on Earth. 4 billion years? It means these little suckers are probably kinda scattered here and there, everywhere. People have only had the tech to even look for them at all, for a short period of time.

Meteroite sale site

Indeed.... The odds beat Powerball any day of the week and twice on a Sunday!

(I don't post that to buy from there....I don't know for certain how to verify meteorites are real, buying that way and I never will...but it gives me a thumbnail for value on my smart phone if I come across something. Google will show many like it.)

Originally posted by Nick_X
What the heck how come the price has gone up so much.

I went to NASA's Space Camp more than a decade ago and they passed around a 5-6kg meteorite for us to examine. IIRC they only said it was worth a high 4 digits back then, only around $6k-$7k


Whats so special about the one she found?


Maybe NASA has found some sort of super rare space element in them?

This meteorite is a Carbonaceous Chondrite, one of the rarest of rare, holy-est of holy's.
This type contains organic matter, amino acids, Methane and Water. They are scientific treasures and that,coupled with the super rarity of this class of meteorites and that it was a witnessed fall, and very little is being found, makes the sky the limit on price.

There worth more if there one that has different elements from the ones found before.
use magnets to find them there worth more than gold.

Most Meteorites are not Worth $20,000 only a few special types.

I have found a few nickel irons when hunting gold with a metal detector and have hunted the Grass Valley area and believe hers must have been a recent fall or a stony Meteorite due to the rain falls in that area.

Small nickel irons tend to rust away in 40 to 50 years in high rain areas.
but can last a 1000 years in deserts.

Even stony

firefox is slow tonight

reply to post by ANNED

I have found a few nickel irons when hunting gold with a metal detector and have hunted the Grass Valley area and believe hers must have been a recent fall or a stony Meteorite due to the rain falls in that area.

Yes a recent fall, like last week. She found a piece of the Sutter Mill bolide.