Advantages of Meteorite over other Ring Materials

Today’s jewelry and ring world have taken a new form. Unlike in past years when we are only familiar with gold and diamond, it is common now to find rings of several types of material. 

An important one is a meteorite, a unique kind of ring material. It is particularly advantageous over other ring materials because of its versatility, uniqueness, pocket-friendliness, durability, and many more. 

In this post, you will learn what meteorite material and its ring are, its types, facts about it and its features, and why it is more advantageous than any other ring material.

What are Meteorites?

Meteorite is a naturally occurring material that is used to create rings, jewelry, and other body embroideries. 

These materials have been discovered several years ago and have become an essential object when it comes to the production of wedding rings and bands, jewelry, and so on. 

Meteorites are known to have been formed when there is a colliding reaction between meteoroids and the earth’s surface. Meteoroids are debris present on the planet. 

When this collision occurs, materials are released into the atmosphere and then to the ground before it is gathered, examined, processed, and used.

Different sizes of meteorites exist from small tiny ones to large particles and they could either be made of stone, metal, or both. 

Several countries today boost this valuable raw material. Namibia, China, and the USA are some of the countries where natural meteorites can be found. 

Apart from the fact that meteorites are now commonly used to produce rings and jewelry, they are also fascinating material to scientists. 

Scientists had discovered that some meteorites contain mineral materials. It was discovered that a particular type of meteorite known as carbonaceous chondrite contains amino acids which is a major protein constituent.

What is a Meteorite Ring?

These are rings that have been selectively and uniquely created from meteorites. They are simply those unique rings made from space debris.  

Meteorite being the new spec for most ring lovers, it has been used to create jewelry since several years ago. Gibeon meteorite forms the most common one used and it contains iron and nickel. 

The rings are usually hand-crafted to meet the unique need of every customer. Unlike other ring materials, rings made from meteorites cannot be found in all jewelry stores. 

They are special pieces that can only be gotten in distinct stores.

Before rings can be made from meteorites, they usually need to be cut into tiny ones, smoothen, and polished to form that attractive shining ring. 

Several types of meteorites are used for making rings and jewelry but the most common one was discovered in Namibia and it is known as the Gideon meteorite. 

Features of Meteorite Material

Meteorites are unique rock materials and when they are creatively processed and polished, they form attractive, unique, valuable, and luxurious jewelry. 

The distinct features that a meteorite has, had made it distinct from all other ring materials or any other material. Below are the features of meteorite

• Magnetism: 

Meteorites could either contain iron, stone, or a combination of both. The presence of a little or whole iron in a meteorite will make it attracted to a magnet. 

If the meteorite is a stony one, then magnetism will not occur. However, to still further test there will be magnetism, you can hang the magnet by a string before trying it out.

• Weight and Density: 

Because meteorites contain some minerals and metals, they are usually quite heavy than you would expect. A small meteorite could weigh as though it is a bigger one.

• Irregular shape: 

Meteorites, especially the nickel-iron type, are not most times circular or rounded in shape but are most times irregular in shape, containing some holes or strains of fingerprints on it.

• Fusion Crust: 

The stony meteorite contains some tiny crust on it where it melts as it passes through the atmosphere.

• Absence of bubbles: 

Unlike volcanic rocks, meteorites do not have bubbles in them and this makes meteorites unique from every other type of material including volcanic rock. They may look alike, but this feature differentiates them from one another.

• No Streaking or Patterning: 

As with other rock materials, meteorites don’t streak or give lines when scratched on a ceramic surface.  

If you get hold of a similar rock material that produces a red or black streak when being scratched on a ceramic surface, then that is likely not a meteorite.

• Strong and Durable: 

Meteorites, especially iron ones, are strong and durable because of the iron and nickel constituent in them. The widely used Gibeon meteorite used in ring production boast of these characteristics.

Meteorites have small round stony particles in them known as chondrules and they usually have a shiny appearance on the inside. On the outside, a meteorite would appear like a dark burnt fusion crust.

Types of Meteorite

About 60,000 meteorites have been found on the planet earth. Each of these meteorites has been grouped into three major types and each of these three types has subtypes. The three types of meteorites are Stony meteorite, Stony-Iron meteorite, and Iron Meteorite

Stony Meteorite

Stony meteorites contain mainly minerals that are rich in silicates (which also contain silicon and oxygen). Stony meteorites consist of two types mainly which are the chondrites and the achondrites. 

Chondrites stony meteorites are further divided into two which could be ordinary and carbonaceous ones. Ordinary chondrites are the most widely known type of stony meteorite and they form about 86% of meteorites found on earth.

Chondrites were formed from the small pieces and particles that gathered from asteroids many years back. They are known to have been formed at the time the solar system was formed and therefore they’ve become very useful in studying and investigating the origin and composition of the solar system.

Carbonaceous chondrites are not as common as ordinary chondrites. They mainly contain carbon which is usually present in the form of amino acids which is an organic compound. 

They also contain water and other compounds containing some fraction of water.

Most carbonaceous chondrites are always named based on the type of the first specimen discovered. They are named based on the name of the place where the first specimen was discovered.

Stony-Iron meteorite

Stony-iron meteorites are made of stone and iron contents, meaning they contain silicon and oxygen as their stony constituent and iron and nickel as their iron or metallic contents. 

A popular type of stony-iron meteorite is pallasites which contain yellow-green olivine particles with some shining metallic components. 

To several astronomers, they think pallasites are remnants of the asteroid core. The chemical structure and composition of pallasites look almost the same as that of iron meteorites. 

And this made astronomers opine that pallasites might have originated from a separate part of the same asteroid that had made its way into the earth’s atmosphere.

Iron meteorite

Iron meteorites contain mainly iron, nickel, and some little amount of sulfide and carbide and they have been formed from the core of asteroids that is released during the decay of radioactive materials several years back.  

They represent 5% of all meteorites found on Earth and they are the largest and heaviest meteorites known. 

The metallic and mineral constituents that they are made up of make it easy for them to withstand the harsh crashing process through the earth’s atmosphere without dividing into smaller particles. 

The most widely known and largest meteorite called Namibia’s Hoba meteorite is an iron meteorite.

Facts About Meteorite

• Meteorites could either be one of its three types. Stony, stony-iron, and iron contain different compositions. The composition of each type reveals the parent body or where the meteorite particle comes from. Stony iron and iron were those close to the asteroids while the stony ones were not far from the surface
• A good quantity of meteoroids ranging from thousands to millions journey through the earth’s atmosphere every day.
• The presence of meteors in a particular region of the sky over some time is known as meteor showers.
• Meteors have been documented to be space travelers journeying through the planet earth which makes it very rare.
• A meteorite that was noticed or observed as it drops is called a fall while the ones that are discovered later after dropping are called finds.
• Rocks relating to meteors that are less than 1 meter are known as meteoroids while the ones that are more than 1 meter are known as asteroids
• Gibeon meteorites that are used to create rings are even rarer and this makes meteorite rings more luxurious and valuable. 
• It is believed that the Gibeon meteorite which forms the most sought-after meteorite was first discovered in Namibia thousands of years ago when it crashed.
• Later on, the meteorite became more visible to people around the 1800s after a British explorer discovered that some group of people made arrowheads and spears from it.
• Meteorites are known to have smooth crisscrossing lines when it is etched and these pattern lines are called Widmanstatten lines. These lines in the Gibeon meteorite make it so attractive and distinct from every other ring material.
• The iron meteorite which contains nickel is highly resistant to rusting and when meteorite rings and jewelry are kept or used under normal and suitable conditions, they can last for a good number of years.
• Exposing your meteorite rings to chlorine or other harsh chemical compounds could affect or reduce their life expectancy

Advantages of Meteorite over other Ring Materials

Below are the advantages of meteorites over other ring materials

• Durability: 

The meteorite is a highly durable rock material. They last very long because of the metallic constituents they have in them. 

If you’ve gotten or are preparing to get a meteorite ring or jewelry, you can expect it to serve you for a good number of years compared to other ring materials. 

On an important note, you’ll only need to prevent it from coming in contact with strong chemical compounds for you to maintain its durability.

• Stylish: 

Meteorites are not only durable but they are also modern and fashionable. Unlike other ring materials, meteorite rings can suit any type of event from engagement to wedding and you can even include it in your casual outings. 

When you are on a ring made of a meteorite, you could expect yourself to be the center of attraction while in public or at an event. And this is one reason many couples are now choosing meteorite rings over any other ring materials.

• Unique: 

Meteorites are unique to other ring materials. And because of their uniqueness, rings made from meteorites are not commonly seen in shops around, like you’ll see several rings of other materials around. 

This doesn’t mean they are not available but they are only available in some distinct modern luxurious shops.

• Pocket Friendly: 

Despite that meteorites are rarer than platinum, they are still quite pocket friendly. 

Most of the other luxurious ring materials are expensive but you can expect to get a meteorite ring at a reasonable price tag that is within your budget. 

Just have in mind that you are getting a rare ring material and so the price would be moderately fair.

• Versatile: 

Meteorite materials have quite different-looking inlays which make their ring available with different looks and patterns. And you can expect to get a pure classy one when you are ready. 

You could also get a ring made from a meteorite with gold linings or one in which the meteorite would be placed as an inlay. 

Using meteorite in ring production is done with versatile designs and creativity and this makes the rings to be suitable for your need because there’s always a unique design that will suit what you desire or need.

• Scarce and Valuable: 

Meteorites are relatively scarce materials for rings. They are yet to be discovered in some parts of the world. 

Since they are scarce, they remain a valuable ring material. They are also more valuable than most other ring materials known today.

• Free from Scratch: 

Meteorites don’t get scratched like other rings made from some other ring material. And whether you are an office worker or you work in the field, you can expect your ring to last long without getting scratched.

Conclusion

In today’s world, meteorites have now become one of the most sought-after materials for rings and other jewelry production. 

Because of the several advantages it has over other ring materials, most couples prefer meteorite over every other ring material. 

Whether you need a ring for your casual outing, special event, engagement, wedding, and other celebration, there is always a ring made from a meteorite that will suit your choice.