Sutter’s Mill is a witnessed Carbonaceous Chondrite fall from California, USA, which occurred on 22 April 2012. The event was recorded by weather radar, seismic data, eyewitness reports, and camera observations, allowing researchers to calculate the fall area quickly. The first stones were recovered within two days near Coloma and Lotus, close to the historic Sutter’s Mill site associated with the California Gold Rush. Officially classified as a Carbonaceous Chondrite, Sutter’s Mill is one of the most scientifically important modern American meteorite falls.

Specimens of Sutter’s Mill are typically dark, fine-grained, and fragile, consistent with primitive Carbonaceous material. The meteorite is noted as a regolith breccia, preserving a mixture of materials from its parent asteroid, along with evidence of aqueous alteration and complex early solar system chemistry. Some early recovered pieces were collected before rainfall, making them especially valuable for scientific study due to reduced terrestrial contamination.

For collectors, Sutter’s Mill offers a rare combination of witnessed fall provenance, American origin, and exceptional scientific significance. Its limited recovered mass, well-documented strewn field, and connection to one of California’s most historic locations make it especially desirable for focused Carbonaceous Chondrite and witnessed fall collections. Each specimen represents primitive asteroid material connected to a precisely recorded event in 2012.