Wow Stone, that's fascinating! I don't think it's weird at all that you walked on Mars, in fact, I probably would have done the same thing! I love looking at the heavens. It's better than drugs or psychiatrists to put life's issues into perspective - well, for me anyway. So, how do you tell if you've actually got a meteorite and not some stone that's been here all along?
With meteorites, it basically an issue of provenance. There are many different types of meteorite, and some are more rare than others. Also, many of these types can be confusing to look at, because they look similar on the outside - it's the chemistry of the specimen that can vary widely. While I can identify many common distinctive meteorites on sight, other meteorites can be difficult to identify by eye. For example, a lunar meteorite strongly resembles Earthly river rock and does not stick to a magnet like most other types of meteorite.
So, in cases where the meteorite type may be difficult to identify, I only purchase from reputable hunters and dealers. Many of us cooperate regularly with scientists working for various institutions, so we could take a huge hit to our reputations if a specimen turns out to be fake.
The process generally works like this :
1) meteorite hunter finds a suspected meteorite in the field.
2) meteorite hunter will then do one of two things :
a) cut off a piece and send it to a lab for analysis and confirmation.
b) sell the specimen to a middleman dealer (like me) who will then have the specimen analyzed.
3) scientists analyze the rock using SEM (scanning electron microscope), EM (electron microprobe), OI (oxygen isotope study), and petrographic thin section study. If the rock is not a meteorite, it generally goes into File 13 (garbage can).
4) if the rock is a genuine meteorite, then the analysis data is sent to the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society for approval by a peer-group of planetary scientists who double-check the data.
5) Once Non-Com approves the meteorite, it is given an official name and entered into the online database of the Meteoritical Bulletin here -
Meteoritical Bulletin: Search the Database
6) If the meteorite is official, then it can be sold as a meteorite using the name given by NonCom.
This process can determine whether or not a given rock is a meteorite.
The real problem in the meteorite world is misrepresentation - for example : an L6 chondrite is a common type of stony meteorite. There are thousands of them known and catalogued. An L6 chondrite that was found in the Sahara desert might be worth $1/gram. However, a similar meteorite that falls onto a house and crashes through the roof is called a "hammer" by collectors and are highly sought-after. So, an L6 hammer could be worth as much as $50/gram and it looks identical to the $1/gram L6 chondrite found in the desert. Some scammers have taken the cheaper meteorites and passed them off as hammers or other more-valuable types.
To avoid being scammed, legit dealers only buy from trusted, vetted sources who have a long-standing reputation in the meteorite community. We are a small, self-policing, niche-group of collectors and we have long memories. There is no 3-strikes rule with meteorites - one slip-up (intentional or not) and your reputation is ruined. Collectors will avoid disgraced dealers like the plague - so those dealers run to the only place where they can anonymously sell their bogus rocks, eBay. Be very very very careful purchasing meteorites from eBay.
In my time, I have watched several meteorite dealers crash and burn because they tried to make a quick buck outside the ethical standards. Scammers don't last long in the meteorite world. So, generally speaking, any dealer with a good rep who has been doing business for several years or more, is usually a safe bet.
When in doubt, feel free to shoot me a private message and ask a question - I give straight answers, and won't try to push you to buy from me. I can recommend several other good reputable dealers who I work with on a regular basis.
Best regards,
MikeG
PS - we have a "ask a meteorite question" thread going in another forum right now -
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/lounge/461627-ask-me-any-meteorite-question.html
....remember you promised me a dance on the beach if we can both get there...LOL
the manufacturers changed the chemical make-up of the clay because of that....but it's still not safe. Another little warning....be sure and use a timer when baking the clay.....burning polymer clay produces very toxic fumes....it is after all....plastic....and we all know how toxic burning plastic is.
