A meteorite is a rock from space that falls to Earth. The ancient world valued and worshiped them. An iron bladed dagger made from a meteorite was found in King Tut’s tomb. Romans minted coins with pictures of meteorites on pedestals. Some Native American burial sites have carefully wrapped meteorites buried with their dead. Now, people spend a lot of money just to own a piece of rock from space.

Meteorites are made from different materials and are usually divided into three categories: iron, iron-stony, and stony. Iron meteorites are usually about 92% iron and 8% nickel. Less than 20% of all meteorites that fall to Earth are iron, yet more than 90% of all meteoric finds are iron. They resist weathering, are easier to recognize on the ground, and can be found with metal detectors. They are cheaper and readily available. Iron-stony meteorites are less than 5% of all meteorites. They are rare and can be very beautiful. Iron-stony are a blend of iron and magnesium-rich olivine. The olivine makes stony-iron meteorites easy to cut into thin green-gold slices that will pass light like a stained-glass window. Stony meteorites have a very small amount of iron. Stony meteorites are more common but harder to recognize. They erode fast and blend with the local rocks on the terrain. Most stony meteorites are found after witnessing it fall and immediately collecting it.

Meteorites can be made into knife blades, beads, and jewelry like watch faces, buckles and rings. Even guitar picks have been made from them. Meteorites can cost from $1 to $1,000 a gram. Most meteorites come from asteroids, but expensive and rare meteorites can come from the moon or Mars.