What is Meteorite?
A meteorite is compelling because its value begins before the display case: classification, fall or find data and provenance tell the story. Texture can reveal chondrules, metal-silicate separation or shock, but the material should never be reduced to a single mineral formula.
Mineralogy and crystal structure
Reference formula: No single formula applies because this is a rock, mixture, trade material or multi-phase extraterrestrial material.. Meteorite is a geological material category, not one mineral species. A meteorite may contain metal, silicates, sulfides, phosphates and glass, each with its own structure; no single formula or artificial lattice is assigned to the material page. Meteorite is classified with a material or rock rather than one mineral class and has a not applicable because the entry has no single crystal lattice crystal system. Typical hardness is 4–7 on the Mohs scale and specific gravity is approximately 2.5–8.0.
Colour, lustre and habit
Typical colours include black, brown, grey, metallic. The usual massive, brecciated, regmaglyptic habit and metallic, dull, vitreous lustre help describe a specimen, but colour alone is not diagnostic.
Formation and notable localities
Meteorite forms in or is associated with extraterrestrial impact, planetary differentiation and collision-generated fragmentation before atmospheric entry. Important documented localities include Antarctica, deserts and documented fall sites worldwide.
A documented fragment of another world
A meteorite is compelling because its value begins before the display case: classification, fall or find data and provenance tell the story. Texture can reveal chondrules, metal-silicate separation or shock, but the material should never be reduced to a single mineral formula.
Collecting and care
Retain chain-of-custody and locality data, avoid polishing without documentation and protect metal-rich specimens from corrosion; no single crystal structure is shown.
