RocksdayIron Meteorite vs Pallasite
The quickest way to tell Iron Meteorite from Pallasite: Iron Meteorite feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 7.3–8 vs 4.5–7).
Nickel-iron from the core of a melted asteroid. It is heavy, strongly magnetic, and shows a crisscross pattern on an etched slice.
Photo: Ji-Elle, Public domain
A stony-iron meteorite: gemmy olivine crystals set in nickel-iron, widely interpreted as material from the boundary of an asteroid's core and mantle.
Photo: Doug Bowman, CC BY 2.0
Quick tests
- Heft: Iron Meteorite feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 7.3–8 vs 4.5–7).
Key differences
- Iron meteorites have no olivine crystals.
Side by side
| Property | Iron Meteorite | Pallasite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Igneous rock | Igneous rock |
| Mohs hardness | 4–5 | 4–7 |
| Luster | Metallic | Metallic and vitreous |
| Streak | Gray | Gray |
| Colors | Gray, Silver, Brown | Green, Yellow, Gray, Silver |
| Crystal system / structure | Nickel-iron crystals (Widmanstätten pattern) | Olivine crystals in nickel-iron |
| Specific gravity | 7.3–8 | 4.5–7 |
| Found in | Canyon Diablo, Arizona; Gibeon, Namibia | Brenham, Kansas; Esquel, Argentina |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify iron meteorite
- Very heavy for its size, and a magnet sticks hard.
- Thumbprint dimples (regmaglypts) or a rusty brown crust.
- No cubes. A gray streak, not the black streak of magnetite.
- A polished and etched slice shows interlocking bands.
Structure: Nickel-iron crystals (Widmanstätten pattern)
Full Iron Meteorite guide →How to identify pallasite
- Translucent green or yellow olivine in a metal network.
- A magnet sticks to the metal.
- Heavier than a terrestrial rock of the same size.
Structure: Olivine crystals in nickel-iron
Full Pallasite guide →More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between iron meteorite and pallasite?
Iron Meteorite is an igneous rock with a Mohs hardness of about 4–5 and a metallic luster, usually gray, silvery or brown. Pallasite is an igneous rock with a Mohs hardness of about 4–7 and a metallic and vitreous luster, usually green, yellow, gray or silvery.
How can you tell iron meteorite from pallasite?
Iron Meteorite feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 7.3–8 vs 4.5–7). Iron meteorites have no olivine crystals.
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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