My collection of minerals, fossils and meteorites Rocks, especially those of extraterrestrial origin, have been interesting people for thousands of years. They were often the symbols of gods. A meteorite that fell several years ago in Indonesia became an object of cult right away, before it was confiscated by the police. Before the arrival of Europeans they were the only source of iron known to them.
Meteorites are sometimes very hard to differentiate from terrestrial rocks.
A farmer in Mexico had been using a bowl-shaped meteorite as a bowl for his dog for over 20 years, until it was recognized as a meteorite and bought from him by a collector. Because of such prices very few collectors can afford big meteorites, and so most meteorites that are for sale for single collectors are cut into smaller parts. The flat surfaces of those pieces are usually polished, so that one can see the internal structure of the meteorite. The two next largest specimens are iron meteorites. It looks very attractive, especially when lighted by colored light.