GET IT RIGHT METEORITE! Pt.1 Countertop Pallasites

GET IT RIGHT METEORITE!
Pt. 1 Countertop Pallasites

This is the first part of an informative series on spotting fakes, scams, and "honest mistakes" when it comes to purchasing meteorites. The target audience is the newer collector and the goal is to protect them, and by extension the overall meteorite trade.

Recently there has been a proliferation of fake pallasites entering the market. They regularly show up on E-Bay meteorite searches. The technique used is called Terrazzo. First is a screenshot of an actual auction. Notice this is not an accident or mistaken identity. The seller places a magnet on the fake pallasite to further the scam. Next I google image searched the material to find an image of this "pallasite" as an installed countertop. Then is a screenshot of the technique used to create these, along with the amazon page where the "olivine crystals" are sold for DIY. Last there are a few more images showing the variety of fakes being called pallasites. (Please keep in mind there is wide variation among actual pallasites and this is intended to be a rough guide for new collectors)

So what are the clues that these are not actual pallasites?

-If the price is too good to be true. This old adage speaks to the gut feeling you have something might not be right.
-The shape of the "crystals" are often incorrect. They could be rounded or too jagged. Olivine tends to have a blocky shape (Orthorhombic). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivine)

-Contrasting crystal shapes are next to each other, such as some being rounded and some being jagged. Expect more uniformity in a natural pallasite.

-Unusual Colors. There are many colors that are just not found in pallasites such as pink and blue. Even green is exceptionally rare and highly valuable.
-Color Variation within the same piece. While there may be some slight variation in crystal color it would typically not be dramatic or in adjacent crystals.
-Texture of the "matrix" looks granular or concrete like.
-If it is not etched is is because of a beautiful mirror finish or because it can't?

-If "crystals" have a mirror polish why doesn't the "iron"?
-Unusual distribution of matrix. Does the placement of the "crystals" seem off or man made.
-The available shapes do not treat the material as valuable. Many meteorites are prepared with care and intention. They are often sliced thin to increase and preserve value. Glass in concrete is cheap, and the time to prepare cost much more than the materials. Therefore the manufacturers do not waste time preserving material.
-The shapes look like they could be scrap, but do not have features that jewelers discard as scraps such as weathered crust, irregularities, and random cut marks.

-The meteorite does not have a name, or if it does the images found elsewhere do not match.

I welcome some of the more experienced members contributing in the comments on other observations regarding spotting Terrazzi castings as pallasites. Good luck buyers! It is the wild west out there, so at least I can help keep you armed with knowledge.

Protect yourself because E-Bay won't.

Definitely anomalous.

Credit to VenosaPreCast.com for the great information on what is, in general, a really cool technique.

Choose colors to match your room.

Wrong crystal colors. Too much variety of color. Generally incorrect crystal shapes. Matrix has wrong texture. Piece has unusual shape. Too much variety of crystal shapes- some are rounded some are jagged.

Weird crystal colors. Weird crystal shapes. Too much variety of crystal shape and color. Matrix looks hella weird. Sloppy fabrication of the cube. Crystals took a polish but the metal didn't.

Weird shaped piece. Rounded crystals like they were tumbled. Matrix is grainy. Crystals are polished and matrix is not. Distribution of crystals in matrix seem off. Some weird color crystals are present.