Chapter 1: Understanding Meteorite Jewelry

Recently, a reader reached out with a question regarding the safety of jewelry crafted from meteorite materials. They asked: "How safe is it to wear such jewelry? Is there any risk of radiation exposure?"

In general, most meteorites are non-radioactive, exhibiting radiation levels that are lower than those of typical Earth rocks. This is primarily due to the fact that asteroids, which eventually become meteorites, are naturally occurring bodies in 99.99% of instances.

The only exceptions to this rule involve objects that have been expelled into space as a result of planetary collisions or impacts on moons during the early formation of our solar system, but such occurrences are exceedingly rare.

Radioactive isotopes tend to accumulate in sedimentary rocks and under specific conditions that exist only on planets. Consequently, there are no sites in space for radioactive elements to gather, leading to the conclusion that 99.99% of meteorites are indeed non-radioactive.

Even if a meteorite originates from debris of a planet or contains a significant amount of radioactive materials during its formation, it does not guarantee that it will still be radioactive upon reaching Earth. Most radioactive elements possess a much shorter half-life than the duration the average meteorite spends traveling through the solar system. By the time it lands on our planet, most radioactive substances will have decayed, resulting in only minimal radiation exposure.

Additionally, any radioactivity that might come from solar exposure is negligible, as it does not produce intense radiation. Moreover, all radioactive materials are found on the surface of the meteorite, which typically "burns up" upon atmospheric entry. What ultimately reaches the Earth's surface is the non-radioactive core of the meteorite.

It's also essential to remain cautious, as there is a possibility that some online retailers may engage in deceptive practices, misrepresenting jewelry made from terrestrial materials as meteorite-based.

If you want to see more articles about space, please show your support! Subscribe to our channel and feel free to ask questions—I'll address them in future articles. If you appreciate my content, consider supporting me by becoming a member on Medium for just $5 a month, enabling us to produce even better resources.