Meteorite ID - Spot Test for Nickel

I’m giving this product 5 stars, but adding this review with instructions that ARE NOT INCLUDED WITH THE PRODUCT. Other reviewers have mentioned this but I’m adding photos and this is very important if you’re attempting to identify meteoric iron/nickel. The product doesn’t really work unless you add an extra step before doing the test. You can test a real meteorite and get a false negative. Here’s what you want to do: make sure the rock is clean. Then, dip a cotton swab into white vinegar and rub it on the area you’re going to test. Rub the vinegar on it for 15 seconds. Then, do the rest of the test exactly as the directions on the product tell you to: put 2 drops of the “Meteorite ID” chemical on a clean cotton swab and rub it on the area you are testing for 15 seconds. I didn’t try to wipe off any vinegar before using the test chemical, I just rubbed the vinegar on, then rubbed the test chemical and the difference was huge. I think the directions should include this step, but hopefully most people will see comments about it in the reviews.

Yes, it looks pricey for a tiny bottle. But it works exactly as described and they tiny amount needed for each test will last for hundreds of uses. I have been highly reactive to jewelry, etc forever some after 10 minutes, some after a week of exposure. I've had a few things that were worn a few times and past the return date by the time I knew it was a problem. Even the smallest bit of metal. Bead necklaces, the clasps can leave blisters on the back of my neck. Rivets and snaps on jeans, buckles on watches can leave my wrist raw. Until this, my only options were buy nothing with any metal or return/throw out after the first breakout. I can't count the number of thoughtful gifts I've received over the years and not been able to wear! Now items can be tested before purchase, or at least while gifts are still in the package.

Though this description promotes it as a meteorite test, it is more commonly used by people with nickel allergies to test for nickel in jewelry. For me, I needed to determine whether a finish on a piece was nickel plating or something else. It did successfully detect the presence of nickel. If you want to test jewelry or other man-made items, this is effective. If you want to test meteorites, I suggest you carefully read the product details and the usage advice given in some other reviews. Be aware this has a strong smell and is toxic. It is also overpriced, but it appears that's not due to the seller but the manufacturer.

OK! So I wanted this solution to test a suspect meteorite for Nickel content. Using this solution as directed i got no indication of Nickel. But, thinking it wise to perform a positive test to prove the solution works. I tried it on an actual US Nickel which is 25% NI, and also got no indication. Finally, having read one review where the person used an acid prior to test, I tried that. Lemon juice as well as cider vinegar. I got a pink indication on the swab. which faded completely within 10 minutes. Duplicating the acid etch first also yielded a Pink swab that faded away on the suspect meteorite. Would really like to know why? Also, Why is the acid application not mentioned in the instructions?

I bought this because I am allergic to Nickel (which is an alloy metal), and I wanted to test a few pairs of earrings to see if they contained Nickel. It works very well. I tested it on an actual nickel, and the swab turned reddish pink. Then, I tested on a product which may or may not have had nickel- and that one tested negative. I won't be using this to test a meteorite. It will definitely be used to save me from an allergic reaction to products that contain nickel (like earrings).

Worked as promised and shipped fast. Unfortunately we didn't have any meteorites just iron ore. But at least we know now instead of just wondering.

2/3 of the bottle is over, I have a bad headache from these chemicals, and I am even more confused than before. I have a bad allergy on my earlobes, so I wanted to test my earrings for nickel and discard the positive ones. Not so easy. The instructions say that you need to rub a cotton swab in circular motions on the surface, which is problematic if you are dealing with a thin rod that goes through the earlobe. I tried to moist a cotton pad, wrap a rod in it, squeeze and wait for a minute -- it seemed to work sometimes. Now here is the problem. Some items came clear, some pink, but most of them brown or green! I suspect that this might be due to ammonia, which is listed as "inactive ingredient", but I guess it still can react with something. I repeated the test multiple times, thinking it might be due to the surface dirt, but still - brown and green. The most confusing thing that some of the items that gave me very bad allergies (like Kate Spade jewelry) tested clear, but the earrings I believed to be safe gave pink, so my problem might be something else that nickel. I suspected that much, because "surgical steel" often gave me a severe reaction too, but I hoped that it was just fraudulent steel.

I recently developed a nickel allergy--I'd been buying earrings for a couple decades with no regard to nickel content, so I needed to figure out which earrings I could safely wear to let my poor ears heal up. This solution worked just as described. Make sure to use it in a well-ventilated area, and watch your skin. I brushed the tips of my fingers a few times over the course of an hour's use, and they definitely feel tender now.