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Rarity
Stony-iron meteorites make up less than 2 percent of all known meteorite specimens. While many stony meteorites contain flecks of iron and nickel, they are not considered true stony-irons. Stony-iron meteorites contain large proportions of both rock and metal, with nearly pure regions of each material occurring within the same specimen. Their relative scarcity is due to their specialized formation processes, which appear to have occurred much less frequently than the processes leading to pure stone or iron meteors.
Pallasites
Pallasites are theorized to have formed on the border of the core and mantle of large asteroids. Since most asteroids are much too small to have developed a core at all and because the zone within each asteroid capable of producing pallasites is likely to be quite narrow, this theory accounts for the rarity of pallasites. Pallasites consist of olivite crystals in a nickel-iron matrix. Since high-quality olivite is also known as the gemstone peridite, this can lead to strikingly beautiful polished specimens.
Mesosiderites
Mesosiderites are defined by irregularly melded regions of stone and nickel-iron and were likely created from impacts between stony and iron meteors. Mesosiderites can contain intricate veins of rock and metal, although a long cooling process allowed the two materials to separate out from one another rather than blending. While mesosiderites are about as rare as pallasites, they lack the aesthetic appeal that leads many collectors to prize pallasites.
Economic Value
Of the many thousands of meteorite specimens currently known, only 45 are pallasites and about 50 are mesosiderites. This rarity makes them highly valuable to collectors, and the natural beauty of pallasites drives their price even higher. A polished slice of pallasite costs $40 to $50 per g. Due to the high density of meteorites, this price can drive relatively small specimens into the hundreds or thousands of dollars.