Meteorites from Mars or other planets become objects of speculation in recent years, sold to a maximum of five thousand or six thousand dollars per gram-much higher than the prices of gold and diamonds. Year by year as prices driven up around this business and more and more people look to find opportunities, markets are getting distorted, giant meteorite in China and even smuggled to the United States sold after cutting by decomposition.
Recently, in a tea house in the provincial capital of Changsha in Hunan province of China, Ke Zuokai excited about his collection of meteorites. The 21st century business Herald points out that, to found these meteorites from around the world, Ke Zuokai in more than 20 years has traveled much of the Earth, but also cost millions worth of property.
According to the Chinese experience in the industry, Ke Zuokai be meteorite collectors fame in one of the largest in China. According to reports, currently in China to encroach on the racket of about 100 people, but real meteorite collection, trading less than fifty or sixty people. He said: “ in addition to real meteorite enthusiasts, others more or want to make money with this vector. ”
For what most people don't know is that rare meteorites up to sell five thousand or six thousand dollars per gram, normal price at around $ 500 at least, much higher than the price of gold and diamonds. As meteorite prices rise all the way, more and more people start to look to find around this business opportunity. Ke Zuokai describes, in 1990, only about 200 of the global transaction involved in meteorites, and participants had increased to more than 10,000 people. Most participants have multiple identity, scientists from the National Agency for research on various celestial bodies, some businessmen, traders also tried to profit from speculation of meteorites. He said that “ known meteorites in the world now number 40,000 or so, 100lai tons, because rare and valuable. ”
In many countries, the meteorite was taken out of the country is strictly prohibited, and meteorite Exchange you need to get approval. However, owing to lack of supervision, there are still many meteorite fragments are through many hidden ways and exit transactions. It is no exception in China, many senior " player " find puzzling meteorite smuggling case has occurred. Beijing Planetarium engineer revealed that, in 2000, found in the Gobi desert in Xinjiang fukang city a resident weighed 1003 kg piece of meteorite, but did not report to the relevant Department, but after the meteorite secret hidden secretly seeking buyers. 5 years later, named after the place of the block to fall the fukang meteorite appeared in United States markets, is decomposed by cutting to price the public sale of US $ 300 per gram.
As the fukang meteorite in overseas exposure, after several rumors, Ke Zuokai is considered to be the instigator. To this end, he issued a statement more than once to show their innocence. On the inside of the fukang meteorite was smuggled overseas, he revealed that he has reliable information is: a man named Mike Famer American is the first buyer of the meteorite, the Americans have more than 50 years of a franchise company of meteorites, called Northwest meteorite laboratory.
Ke Zuokai said the meteorite were shipped to the United States Hou, initially was cut into three large blocks, also each of the two blocks is a film and television star and one owned by the Museum. As the fukang meteorite are rare species, is cutting parts before they were broken down into fragments, circulating in secret in the international market. Tianjin last winter one collectors from the United States brought back a two kilos of olive stone meteorite was part of fukang meteorite.
What is “ meteorites ”
Fragments of the meteorite is outer space after star burst, on entering the Earth's atmosphere was completely burnt and evaporation, as well as from falling to Earth. Meteorite fall into three broad categories: stone meteorites (the main ingredient is silicate), iron (iron-nickel alloy) and stone iron meteorite (iron and silicate mixtures), stone meteorites in FE-NI metal content less than or equal to 30%, over 90% of iron and nickel contents in iron meteorites, stone iron meteorite of Fe-NI metal content in between 30% per cent, is more rare type of. Most meteorites are not falling into the sea is out in the desert, so very little meteorite was found a year, so great research and collection value. As of February last year, global collection Fall of meteorite specimens of about 1086; in contrast, was recognized there were 38,660 discovery of meteorites.
