Friday, 31 December 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 98 - Norton County and other Monig specimens

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
LIST 98
December 28, 2010

Dear Collectors,

I really had not planned on having any further lists this year. I was supposed to be in Denver this week. Unfortunately the weather and several deals that need to be finished (including picking up a nice 8.4kg natural Gibeon specimen from the owner in Grand Junction yesterday) prevented this. The weather is not bad right now (sunny – only the second day in weeks! My solar system has not proven to be of much use the past couple months, unfortunately). But, another big storm is moving in and expected to stay awhile. Linda has jury duty January 3rd as well and I cannot risk getting stuck an extra week in Denver right now (as happened all last December and January on every trip I made up there to clean up my Aunt's estate).
Any way, these are a few things from TCU. Most of these have a Monig collection label. The large Travis (a) slice and the fragment lots of Norton County don't, unfortunately (I may be able to get a label made up for the Travis (a) piece and send that to the buyer later though).

NORTON COUNTY, Kansas: enstatite achondrite (Aubrite). Fell February 18, 1948. Tkw = 1175kg.
I have not had any of this in a looong time, particularly pieces large enough to actually weigh (the 4 fragment lot could have easily been broken down into 4 individually weighed specimens). As mentioned above, the two large specimens (3.1g and 18.0g) come with Monig Collection labels.
a) 2.9 grams of fragments (crumbs to about 7 or 8mm in size) in glass vial - $75
b) 3.0 grams; 4 nice fragments (roughly equal size) - $120
c) 3.1 gram fragment – 18mm x 15mm x 8mm - $120
d) 18.0 gram fragment – 31mm x 28mm x 16mm - $675 – this has a really large enstatite crystal (30mm x 20mm x 10mm) on one end.

TRAVIS COUNTY (a), Texas: (H5). Found 1889. Tkw = 175.4kg.
This is the fresher (by a bit) of the two Travis County stones. It has a good number of metal and sulfide rimmed chondrules in a dark green/gray matrix. This piece also has a few large Troilite inclusions (one that is about 10mm x 6mm).
136.9 gram complete slice – 175mm x 80mm x 3mm - $200

TRAVIS COUNTY (b), Texas: (H4). Found before 1980. Tkw = 5.9kg.
This is the rarer of the two Travis County stones. It is a bit more weathered than the Travis (a), but is still nice. These pices show lots of chondrules (really visible on the back unpolished side) in a mixed medium to dark brown matrix.
a) 20.1 gram part slice – 45mm x 34mm x 5mm - $40
b) 64.2 gram ½ slice – 80mm x 60mm x 5mm - $120

TULIA (d), Texas: (H6). Found 1981. Tkw = 17.7kg.
Yep, I did sell the last piece I had of this from the last list, BUT the folks at TCU noticed this offering and sent up a couple pieces (2 "large" complete slices) that they had set aside somewhere (as inventory for potential trades with other museums, perhaps). Any way, I am offering the largest here. I have a very similar 99.2 gram piece, but I am temporarily holding that one for someone that wanted the 74g one I had last time but missed out.
114.1 gram complete slice – 100mm x 84mm x 4mm - $285

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 97, more consigned plus "gift ideas"

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
LIST 97
December 14, 2010

Dear Collectors,

Here is an offering of remaining consigned items and a couple things that turned up while doing inventory work (I have just begun this long tedious process, so more my turn up later). I also forgot about some beautiful sterling wire-wrapped Moldavite and Libyan glass pendants that would make great gifts, though I am, admittedly, a bit late on that. I can ship express if needed though..

HUCKITTA, Australia: (Pallasite).
This is a smaller piece than the last one I listed. This is a slice though.
6.3 grams slice (no cut edges) – 22mm x 17mm x 5mm - $12

NWA (----): Unstudied. Likely (L6) .
This is a nice part slice. It has 2 cut edges and the remainder shows slightly wind-polished black crust. The interior is also interesting. It shows a good number of black shock veins in a light brown matrix. Nice stuff, would not mind having a fairly large quantity of this one if it were available.
17.7 gram slice – 45mm x 30mm x 5mm - $20

NWA (-----): Unstudied. Likely (H5).
This is a nice complete slice that shows lots of metal in a mixed light to medium brown matrix. If it didn't have a wind-polished crust edge, I would probably guess that this was Gao.
17.2 gram complete slice – 52mm x 27mm x 4mm - $15

NWA (2907): Anomalous achondrite. Found before Sept. 2005. Tkw = 203grams.
This is some strange stuff I picked up at the Denver Show. It has the mineralogy of a diogenite but it appears to be from the parent body of the Mesosiderites. It certainly does not look anything like a diogenite. It has fine granular texture with some slightly larger (couple mm or so) clasts in a orangish to almost pinkish brown matrix. This is a consigned specimen. I think I have a few (but very few) pieces remaining of this of my own (though I have not come across them yet), so let me know if more of you want specimens and I will set them aside or you when I do locate mine.
.85 grams complete slice – 17mm x 10mm x 2mm - $65

SANTA VITORIA DO PALMAR, Brazil: (L3). Found 2003/2004.
This, as with the Huckitta, is a smaller piece than offered last time that turned up in the same consignment lot.
1.5 gram slice – 15mm x 8mm x 4mm - $8

SELMA, Alabama: (H4). Found 1906. Tkw = 141kg.
This is just a basic square cut sample(a nice "macro"). The unpolished back shows lots of chondrules. The front shows fewer chondrules (polishing darkens things) in a dark green and brown mixed matrix.
3.6 gram slice – 18mm x 17mm x 3mm - $30

SEYMCHAN, Russia; (Pallasite).
This is a nice rectangle cut iron piece. It has a beautiful etch and particularly well shows the fantastic diversity of this meteorite's structure (with areas that appear to be finest octahedrite structure as well as some bands that are almost coarsest octahedral width). A really nice piece and a testament to the stability of this stuff. This shows only the tinniest traces of brown rust staining along a couple crystal boundaries on the back even after spending considerable time in Florida (without special storage no less!).
62.0gram etched 9both sides) slice – 61mm x 41mm x 3mm - $90

TULIA (D), Texas: (H6). Found 1981. Tkw = 17.7kg.
This is my last piece of this, and I know the source (TCU) is not cutting any more. I don't think they cut much of this to begin with, so very little of it is floating around the collecting world. This is a large piece, but I have tried to price it very close (if not slightly under) what I paid for the thing. However, let me know if you want a smaller piece of this for your collection. If I get a number of "smaller pieces wanted" orders, I may break this down.
78.7 gram slice – 95mm x 70mm x 4mm - $175

ZAG, Morocco: (H3-6). Fell August 4 or 5 1998. Tkw = 175kg.
This is one of 2 meteorites that halite crystals were discovered in 9the other being Monahans, TX). This is a nice "E-Bay" lot perhaps. It consists of 5 pieces including 2 large pieces (23mm x 6mm x 5mm and 28mm x 10mm x 5mm) and a couple small (a bit under 1cm max dimension) fragments.
13.5 grams slices and fragments - $25

JEWELRY: I know, I really needed to have these offered last week (or earlier) but completely forgot about these things until I opened the box they were in while inventorying part of the vault a couple days ago. I am going to try to get Blake to take a group photo of these so I can send it to anyone interested. I will have the different sized moldavite and libyan glass pendants arranged from lightest (first listed below) to heaviest from left to right in the picture. The other items should be fairly obvious.

CAMPO DEL CIELO:
I have 2 necklaces that have a Campo nugget as the center piece. BUT, the remainder, in my opinion, is the best part. These are very well done. They use all kinds of glass and stone beads. The maker also felt (and I certainly agree) they were good enough to spend extra money to use a sterling "lobster claw" for the clasp. One is mostly blue and light purple, the other red and yellows. Your choice - $80

LIBYAN DESERT GLASS:
These are nice clear pieces (the largest does have a fair number of round white crystobalite inclusions though) that have wire-wrapped in sterling with almost indescribable skill. The "back side" of these is often even fancier on the silver work than what will be visible in the picture.
a) 7.6 grams total - $80 – glass sample is roughly 25mm x 16mm x 6mm. Overall pendant is 35mm x 25mm x 22mm.
b) 11.3 grams total - $115 – glass sample is roughly 30mm x 21mm x 8mm and roughly arrow-head shaped. Overall pendant is 53mm x 22mm x 10mm.
c) 12.4 grams total - $125 – glass sample is roughly 35mm x 20mm x 12mm. Overall pendant is 50mm x 25mm x 15mm.

MOLDAVITE:
These, as above, are fancy wrapped with sterling (except the carving – noted below and photoed next to the NWA (482) and Sikhote pieces). I tried to pick samples that have nice surface texture to them (no river-worn pieces here). Some do have broken or chipped areas, but they were wrapped such that this does not readily show from the front. Also, as above, the silver work is often fancier than that on the front (so accidentally wearing one of these backwards would still look great).
a) 9.4 grams total - $100 – moldavite is roughly 26mm x 17mm x 5mm. Overall pendant is 37mm x 30mm x 10mm.
b) 11.2 grams total - $115 – moldavite is roughly 40mm x 14mm x 6mm. Overall pendant is 63mm x 17mm x 12mm.
c) 17.2 grams total - $170 – moldavite is roughly 40mm x 12mm x 10mm. Overall pendant is 63mm x 17mm x 13mm (this has some really heavy sterling "wire" in it).
d) Moldavite with 3 amethyst gem stones. Now this is really special! The work in this thing is incredible. The moldavite is roughly 40mm x 12mm x 5mm and the overall pendant is 62mm x 25mm x 10mm - $250
e) Moldavite carving. This is a 18mm x 16mm x 9mm moldavite that has a beautiful woman's face carved into it (remainder is natural) and wire-wrapped in 14kt gold-filled wire. Total weight is 4.0g - $100.

NWA (482):
This is my last "moon dust" pendant. It is a small (20mm long) tear-drop glass vial with dust from the cutting of the NWA (482) moon rock. It is attached (glued?) to a 14kt gold bell cap. - $100

SIKHOTE-ALIN:
This is a nice basic shrapnel piece (roughly 28mm x 17mm x 6mm) wrapped simply but elegantly in sterling wire. Total piece is 13.5 grams and 40mm x 19mm x 7mm - $45

Wednesday, 1 December 2010

List 96, more miscellaneous consigned items

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487

..................................LIST 96

November 30, 2010

Dear Collectors,

I have been very busy with projects of various sorts and have not had time to put together any kind of list for the past month and a half. These items are actually from a box of consignments that was sent to me shortly after the Denver Show. I do hope to get on the ball and get inventory work started soon. That should bring out some special "only got a tiny bit left" offerings next month. Unfortunately though that on top of all of the other things I have been trying to accomplish I got notice yesterday that I need to prepare the "landing spot" for a trailer that will become my ultra-light's hanger. I have gotten tired of hanging myself trying to carefully get around all of the wires of the hang-glider wing taking up a substantial portion of my garage (I am beginning to think that the reason they call these wings "hang-gliders" is not because you hang underneath them while flying, but because you can't move around one that is completely or partially set up with out hanging yourself on a support wire or two). This was NOT a project I had planned on working on for the near term, but the trailer yard says it must be moved by the end of next week. I will have many hours of dirt moving and such to do now, so future lists (and the inventory work that will generate them) will likely be a bit delayed or oddly timed. I apologize for this.

ALLENDE, Mexico: Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3.2). Fell February 8, 1969.
This is a nice complete stone! It has a very high amount of crust coverage (something like 90% - only the usual chipped edges). What is interesting is that all o this crust shows lots of contraction cracks. This may be partly due to the act that I think that this may be a "later" recovery and some light colored dirt has settled into the cracks. However, this is not one of the really later recoveries, it is still very fresh (no rust, no lichen and such as found on some of the most recent recovered specimens). Another interesting feature is a crater where a 3mm chondrule popped out during the fall that is now fully crusted over.
8.8 gram crusted individual – 20mm x 17mm x 16mm - $90

BONITA SPRINGS, Florida: (H5). Found 1938. Tkw = 41.8 kg.
I am quite surprised at how fresh this is. I would think that any iron bearing meteorite found in Florida (or similar environment) would be deeply rust weathered. This is a nice light gray (there are some brown spots) color with lots of fresh metal.
3.0 gram slice – 18mm x 18mm x 3mm - $75

BRAHIN, Belarus: (pallasite). Found 1810. Tkw = 1000+kg.
This slice, of coarse, shows a fair amount of rusting, but it has not completely fallen apart (amazing considering it spent a long time in Florida). This does have some nice gemmy crystals though. One is really clear (only about 4mm x 4mm though) and could possibly be cut into a gem stone
5.7 gram slice – 27mm x 12mm x 5mm - $10

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: rock flour.
This is a small container (approximately 20mm x 20mm x 15mm) that is a bit over half full of white powdered sandstone. This is some of the "rock flour" (highly shocked Coconino Sandstone) that was retrieved from the "mine" shaft in the bottom of the crater.
Approximately 18mm x 18mm x 10mm in box - $20

GHUBARA, Oman: (L5), black, xenolithic. Found 1954. Tkw = 250+kg.
2.5 gram slice – 15mm x 8mm x 6mm - $3

GOLD BASIN, Arizona: (L4). Found 1995.
This is nothing special, just a typical representative cut fragment ( the back side is natural, but I don't see anything I would call crust). It has the usual surprisingly fresh interior with a fair amount o metal in a mixed gray and brown matrix.
5.6 gram end piece –26mm x 13mm x 8mm - $8

HENBURY, Australia; Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
This is just a typical natural individual. I used to have a lot of this stuff (in fact, this probably came from me years ago), but I am now down to only a small hand full (the strength of the Australian dollar combined with the weakness of the US dollar has made the "wholesale" price of this material higher than what I normally sold it for so I have not picked up any new materail in years).
8.6 gram natural individual – 20mm x 15mm x 6mm - $10

HUCKITTA, Australia: (pallasite).
This is an end piece of the usual oxide material.
21.6 gram end piece – 35mm x 13mm x 17mm - $32

IMILAC, Chile: (Pallasite).
This is a particularly nice "shrapnel" fragment. It has a really wild shape with some yellow and almost pinkish olivine in the deepest pockets.
10.0 gram fragment – 20mm x 18mm x 10mm - $60

MONTURAQUI, Chile: Impactite.
This is one of the better cut pieces of this I have seen.
7.7 gram end piece – 33mm x 23mm x 6mm - $15

MUNDRABILLA, Australia: Medium octahedrite, ungrouped.
This is just a basic natural individual metal nugget. Nice, but typical for this meteorite.
20.3 gram individual – 25mm x 17mm x 10mm - $20

NWA (------): unclassified, likely (H5).
This is a nice end piece with a large cut face (about 70mm x 60mm) that has not been polished (I can do this if you like). There is also another "test cut" on the back (about 35mm x 25mm). Overall, this is a nice specimen and would make an ideal "pass around" educational specimen. The interior is quite fresh – showing lots of metal in a light tan matrix (reminds of Gao). The exterior is very smooth (highly wind-polished) and has in interesting pinkish brown color. This looks shockingly similar (internally and externally) to the Sahara (99427) listed below, but then this piece weighs as much as the total reported (according the hand scribbled notes that came with all of this anyway – that Sahara stone has not been officially reported – according to Meteorites A to Z).
351.1 gram end piece – 70mm x 60mm x 40mm - $150

NWA (----), Unclassified.
This is just a typical fragment of chondrite (no real idea what kind as it has no cut or polished suraces).
7.0 gram fragment – 15mm x 15mm x 14mm - $3

NWA (482): Lunar impact melt breccia. Found 2000. Tkw = 1015grams.
This is a small fragment in a capsule in a magnifier box. This is almost completely white (anorthosite) with only a few hints of shock darkening.
.027 gram fragment 2.5mm x 2mm x 2mm - $50

NWA (2932) (Mesosiderite). Found 2005. Tkw = 15+kg.
I really wish I bought more of this when the "big" batch came out (I am out of it myself). This is what a mesosiderite should look like. It has a nice mix of metal (including one 5mm or so nodule) and silicates.
22.5 gram end piece – 40mm x 20mm x 13mm - $135

PUTORANA, Russia: Terrestrial Fe/Ni in basalt.
This is still a mystery to me. This has Fe, Ni ands even troilite. It is a breccia (unlike any other iron in basalt that I am aware of). This is a nice highly polished specimen that has loads of iron. This is a nice as any mesosiderite. This is the only piece of this I have (I am COMPLETELY sold out in my inventory).
7.8 gram slice – 40mm x 6mm x 5mm - $11

SAHARA (99427): Not reported but likely (H5), Tkw = 351.1 grams.
Here is a slice of this, unfortunately, unreported stone. It is quite fresh and shows lots of metal in a tan to brown matrix (reminds me of Gao).
43.2 gram slice – 47mm x 38mm x 8mm - $45

SANTA VITORIA DO PALMAR, Brazil. (L3). Ound 2003/2004. Tkw = 50.36kg.
This is the one, despite its rather dark matrix and lack of metal, that is reproted to have likely fallen June 25, 1997. I quickly sold all I had when I had a good quantity of it a few years ago. This does show lots of chondrules of all sizes, though there are a bit hidden in the dark brown matrix.
17.2 gram slice – 50mm x 25mm x 4mm - $80

SARIR QATTUSAH (001), Libya: (L/LL3). Found 1994. Tkw = 796 grams.
This is actually a nice specimen. It is weathered ( it only shows a few bits of metal) but it has lots of chondrules of different colors. It kind of reminds me of Ragland or Wells.
1.9 gram slice – 14mm x 12mm x 5mm - $30

Saturday, 16 October 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 95, mailed list posting Saturday, October 16, 2010 4:21 AM

List 95, mailed list posting Saturday, October 16, 2010 4:21 AM
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487

..LIST 95

October 15, 2010

Dear Collectors,

Here is an electronic copy of my just mailed paper list. That should have been in the hands of every body on the mailing list by now, but I have only gotten calls from overseas and Hawaii (I send those out earlier in an attempt to have everyone everywhere get the thing at the same time). Something got goofed up this time. Probably delays and such from the holiday Monday (Columbus Day) that I had completely forgotten about. I decided to go ahead and send this out now (usually I wait until I start getting calls from a wide selection of regions) so that collectors in the main parts of the US will have a shot at some of this (I have already sold my 2 largest Gebel Kamil individuals and the smallest NWA (5782) complete slice). Many of you are on both the paper mailing list and this e-mailing one so I guess there is only a bit of "unfairness" in doing this now.

I finally pulled together this list from stuff I have had and stuff I picked up at the Denver show a couple weeks ago. I have been very busy with many things (some good some bad, unfortunately) so this is going out a bit later than I would have liked. This also means that the typical time frame that I usually see orders come in from one of these mailings will overlap with a couple out of town trips I have to make (leave a message if you do find you want to place an order during these dates, I will set aside samples for you and get back in touch with you when I get home). These are:
Denver: October 21st - 25th.: Not meteorite related, but if any of you in Denver really want me to bring some samples to look over, let me know.
Socorro, New Mexico Mineral Symposium. November 11th - 17th. This "show" I have been attending longer than any other. I think the first time I went was in 1985 (first set up and offered samples in 1986). This year the "informal tail-gating" (specimen sales) will be at the new Comfort Inn at the very North end of town (1259 Frontage Rd NW - West side of the interstate). I am supposed to be in room 119. I should be set up and open by about 5PM on Friday Nov 12th and open again about 6PM Saturday (generally open until 12 each night - this is a drink in hand, wander and look at specimens kind of thing - very relaxed and enjoyable). I will also likely be open much of Sunday as well - not putting things away until around 5PM or so that day.

GEBEL KAMIL, Egypt: Ni-rich ataxite (ungrouped). Found 2008. Tkw = about 1600kg.
A 45meter (148ft) diameter crater was discovered on Google Earth satellite photos in 2008. Field expeditions in February of 2010 confirmed that it was indeed a meteorite impact crater. Many shrapnel type fragments of Ni-rich (close to 20% nickel!) iron meteorites were found surrounding the crater. It is currently estimated that this fall occurred less than 5000 years ago. When I first saw some of this stuff (at the Denver spring show in April) I was quite suspicious. The external texture looked VERY much like how man-made materials weather (but then an iron of fairly uniform composition in a sand-blasting type environment probably should end up looking the same). But, the slices (that are obviously cut from shrapnel type fragments), clearly show schriebersite and other meteoritic minerals (and I now have some scientific reports on the stuff - something I did not have at all then). I have both nice complete shrapnel fragments (the large ones are really neat) and some really nice super thin slices that are etched (some on one side with the other side highly polished and some etched on both sides).

1) Complete shrapnel fragments as found:
a) 52.7 grams - 45mm x 30mm x 10mm - $70
b) 92.4 grams - 55mm x 30mm x 15mm - $115
c) 211.4 grams - 58mm x 40mm x 22mm - $250
d) 339.0 grams - 65mm x 60mm x 23mm - $390
e) 595.8 grams - 105mm x 65mm x 23mm - $640 - yes, this is available. It was a replacement for the 691g piece on the mailed list.
f) 908.1 grams - 120mm x 80mm x 30mm - sold

2) Complete slices, etched:
a) 26.5 grams - 70mm x 40mm x 1.5mm - $80
b) 39.5 grams - 80mm x 60mm x 1mm - $118
c) 57.5 grams - 90mm x 60mm x 1.5mm - $170

BENSOUR, Morocco/ Algeria: (LL6). Fell February 11, 2002. Tkw = 45+kg.
This is one of those "rumor of a fall" while we are at major shows (these are surprisingly common) that later turned out to be true (actual falls during or near Tucson and Denver show dates were the subject of this year's Tucson wine glass I made). I sold the last of this I had (at $7 to $8/g) some time ago and have not seen much of this meteorite since (aside from the bag of really small fragments I had earlier this summer that is). Luckily I picked up a nice bag of fresh material. These are the usual broken fragments that show a light gray, fine textured interior (and the occasional metal or troilite grain) with large patches of fresh black crust (covering roughly 30% or more of most of these pieces). Nice, affordable, pieces of an LL fall!
1) Fragments with crust as found:
a) 1.0 grams - 9mm x 8mm x 7mm - $7
b) 2.1 grams - 12mm x 11mm x 6mm - $14
c) 3.0 grams - 22mm x 8mm x 7mm - $20
d) 5.9 grams - 18mm x 17mm x 11mm - $38
e) 12.8 grams - 25mm x 18mm x 15mm - $80

NWA (5778): (H4). Found before September 2008. Tkw = 1560 grams.
This is yet another "thought it was something better" when I got it stones. The seller thought it was an H3 and, given the large number of chondrules it showed on the cut surface it had, it looked like one to me as well. Alas, it turned out to be an H4 (the science on this one is irrefutable - equilibrated olivine = type 4 or higher). This is quite weathered (no real visible), but yet it still has a pleasing light almost pinkish brown color with lots of chondrules clearly visible (many H's get so dark when oxidized that the chondrules get hidden - Dimmitt, TX is one example).

1) Slices:
a) 11.7 grams - 47mm x 22mm x 2mm - $10
b) 22.1 grams - 60mm x 30mm x 5mm - $18
c) 44.0 grams - 72mm x 45mm x 5mm - $35 - complete slice.
d) 71.1 grams - 103mm x 44mm x 6mm - $55 - complete slice.

2) End piece:
a) 336.9 grams - 100mm x 43mm x 45mm - $235 - Main Mass!

NWA (5779): (LL5), polymict breccia: Found before October 2008. Tkw = 815 grams.
This is a stone I wish I had much more of. I asked the source for more of this but was told "there is none", darn it. This is a fantastic LL breccia that has a light tan/ brown matrix and lots of angular to rounded fragments that are generally different shades of brown and gray to some that are weird swirled mixes of both (those are impact melt clasts, most likely). These fragments are of different compositions than the host rock - making this a "polymict" breccia. This does still show metal grains and troilite in proper amount for the type stone this is, so it is not weathered to any great degree either. A real interesting stone scientifically and great visually.
1) Slices:
a) 6.9 grams - 30mm x 20mm x 5mm - $30
b) 16.0 grams - 45mm x 30mm x 4mm - $68
c) 24.6 grams - 70mm x 50mm x 3mm - $105
d) 56.3 grams - 90mm x 65mm x 4mm - $225 - complete slice.

NWA (5782): Acapulcoite/Lodranite. Found Before September 2008. Tkw = 130 grams.
This was special enough to get special treatment in its reporting. I did not know that this one was "finished" until I saw a picture of it in the most recent Meteoritical Bulletin (a picture Blake took that the bulletin miss-labeled as having an inch scale for size when it was really centimeters). This is a breccia containing fragments of both acapulcoites of various compositions (making up 45% of this stone) and lodranites (also of variuos compositions and making up 25% of this stone) with a matrix composed of fine debris of both types. This is the only such thing known in the world. It has been called the "Rosetta Stone" of the acapulcoite/lodranite parent body. It is too bad that so little was recovered (and even that was by accident in a batch of L6 stones I picked up some time ago). After I got done sending pieces of all sizes all over for research work (that is still continuing on this thing for clues about its parent body) I was left with only about 41 grams to offer to collectors.
1) Slices:
a) .13 grams - 9mm x 5mm x 1mm - $50
b) .26 grams - 12mm x 6mm x 1mm - $100
c) .52 grams - 17mm x 9mm x 1mm - $200
d) .86 grams - 17mm x 15mm x 1mm - $325
e) 1.50 grams - 24mm x 21mm x 1mm - sold.
f) 2.93 grams - 33mm x 26mm x 1mm - $1070 - complete slice.
g) 4.98 grams - 37mm x 31mm x 1mm - $1800 - complete slice.

IRIDIUM: The element
Iridium is a very important to meteorite impact research element. Iridium is one of the very rarest metals in the Earth's crust (making up less than .001 parts per million on average). In meteorites, however, it is "relatively common" - making up around .5 parts per million. Large impacts bring a large dose of this element to the Earth's surface. This is then deposited into accumulating sediments in the area (smaller impacts) to all over the globe (as in the Chicxulub impact). Thus, an increased Iridium content in a rock layer tends to indicate that a large impact may have occurred at that time. These are fine crystals (maybe mm sized) that were vapor deposited during the process of making crystals for high power lasers. I have these in a capsule in a magnifier box in various sized lots (I, as an element collector would prefer a "mole" sized lot - but that is some 192 grams!).
1) Crystals in a capsule in a magnifier box:
a) .10grams - $10
b) .25grams - $15
c) .50 grams - $25
d) 1.0 grams - $40

LIGHTED LOUPE:
This is what most of us know as a hand lens. I bought one of these a year or so ago (for $20) and have used it almost exclusively ever since. These are 20X magnification and have a fairly large lens area (about 19mm diameter) and have a couple really bright L.E.D.s built into them to light what you are looking at - $15 each.

Please include postage: a couple dollars on small U.S. orders and $10 on large items for first class (insurance is extra, if desired). On small overseas orders, $3 to $5 is generally plenty (I'll have to custom figure the rate for large items). Registration is also recommended on more valuable overseas shipments - an extra $12.00.
If you are sending a fax, simply begin transmitting when my line is answered. My fax will turn on automatically to receive (or I will start it if I answer) when you begin transmitting.

Monday, 4 October 2010

-- List #94

List 94, some "after Denver" stuff
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 8:14 AM
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………..LIST 94
September 28, 2010

Dear Collectors,
Sorry this is going out so late. I have been very busy today (lots of calls, visitors and such). I have been working on this since 11AM this morning and wanted to be done by 1 or 2PM. Here it is after 5.

Most of these are things that were sent to me for the Denver show or things I picked up while there. I had a couple more boxes of things that were sent, but did not arrive in time to make it to the show with me as well (I still have not opened them). Those should make for the next offering or three. I am also desperately trying to get a mailed offering pulled together before too long (I usually would have the bulk of an after Denver paper listing ready to go and by now, but all of the difficulties health wise this summer left me waaay behind in cutting, polishing and cataloging stuff for such an offering). We have really nice weather now, so I am trying to get that caught up as well (but it will likely be a couple weeks before I have envelopes stuffed and sent).

ODESSA, Texas: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
This is a sample I got in a bucket of mixed irons I picked up this summer from a mineral dealer in California (he got them as part of a large mineral collection he bought). This one looked like it was simply about to rust into two pieces (along an almost perfectly straight and flat surface that I originally assumed was simply along one of the internal etch structure boundaries). I had considered simply cutting the last little bit of this break and polishing and etching the resulting two pieces to make two end pieces. I am glad I didn't. On closer inspection, I realized that this "rusting crack" is really a troilite or Schiebersite inclusion that has mostly broken out of this specimen (some of this is still visible in the narrow end of the split). Very interesting and unusual, but I am pricing this at the same as a more common Odessa specimen of this size.
1270 gram brushed individual - 125mm x 70mm x 30mm - $900

TAZWELL, TN: Finest octahedrite (IIICD). Found 1853. Tkw=27.2kg
Tazwell is the only finest ocathedrite I have ever seen and this is only the second sample I have ever had of it. I had this hiding in a "do something with later" stuff and forgot about it for many years (it came too me from Tom Palmer's collection). Actually, the "do something" was to trim the slightly larger specimen down into two pieces; one for my type set micro collection (I had goofed and accidently left my last specimen in with "extra" specimens from that collection that I was willing to part with and, of coarse, it sold immediately) and this one to sell. It has been decades since I got my first piece (and a good 7 or 8 years since I got this one) and it may be as long before another specimen of this turns up again.
10.8 gram etched part slice (50% crusted edge) - 20mm x 11mm x 6mm - $300

NWA (6135), (LL3.8). Found 2008. Tkw = 3.8kg.
Matt Morgan got this stone a couple years ago and cut a few pieces off of it. I picked up this fantastic slice from him a earlier this summer (I had a customer that wanted LL3 pieces, but it turned out that he wanted larger, preferably complete pieces individuals). This is not an individual, so it didn't meet the needs, but it is a complete slice. It has a great LL3 interior (lots of chondrules) and a few interesting inclusions. One (the one that caught my eye and got me to take this piece) is a 20mm x 25mm obvious LL5 fragment!.
121.5 gram complete slice - 110mm x 65mm x 6mm - $1100

ASH CREEK, (a.k.a. "West") Texas: (L6). Fell February 15, 2009. Tkw = 11.7kg.
I remember that I was still visiting friends in Phoenix after the Tucson show when this fell. I was unloading my car back at home when the first recovered pieces started turning up. I really wanted to go and look for some of this one (it looked like enough pieces were being found that there was a real chance of not getting skunked on a hunt here - not so with the recent Wisconsin fall). Unfortunately, I had a good 3 weeks of work, bills, etc waiting to be immediately dealt with after being gone so long for the show. These are both beautiful complete, black crusted individuals (the smaller has some hint of dark brown coloration that could be very light oxide - it did rain quite a bit the days after this fell). .
a) 17.9 gram complete individual - 27mm x 20mm x 15mm - $985
b) 27.0 gram complete individual - 32mm x 25mm x 21mm - $1485

TUXTUAC, Mexico: (LL5). Fell October 16, 1975. Tkw = 29.25kg.
This is one of the usual crust free pieces. Much of this meteorite was broken apart by the locals that found it as they thought that there must gold or gems hiding inside it as the price offered for it was really high for just an "ugly rock", even if it did fall from space. Robert Haag had the bulk of this stuff years ago, but it is now fairly scarce stuff (and quite under priced for an LL fall in my opinion).
28.7 gram cut fragment - 48mm x 24mm x 20mm - $150

ALLENDE, Mexico: carbonaceous chondrite (CV3.2). Fell February 8, 1969.
This is beautiful super thin slice cut by wire saw. This is a particularly nice piece of Allende it has nice chondrules (not quite as many as the NWA 3118 below, but very nice for Allende) and has a nice 10mm x 1.5mm CAI. I had a bunch of pieces like this at the show and sold all of them rapidly (this one would have sold, but it was mistakenly mixed in with the NWA (3118) pieces that I had extras of so I did not know I had this).
32mm x 23mm thin slice in mylar box - $40

NWA (801), carbonaceous chondrite (CR2)
Here is a really nice LARGE (for this stuff) slice that I wouldn't mind keeping for myself (I am making working on a deal to get one for myself a bit later though). This is a complete slice that was cut with a wire saw, but not polished so it does show some horizontal cut marks. The owner of this did polish down a slice that they kept for their collection and decided that it was best to leave this unpolished (sanding tends to darken the material and you loose a fair amount of the chondrule structure and metal in this material). I did just discover though that he coated the back side with some kind of lacquer, and did a pretty poor job of it unfortunately (though it does really bring out the chondrules really well). This is in a riker mount box so this is the first I have seen the back side of this piece. It is too thin to risk trying to sand and re-coat so I am going to offer it as it is at a price a bit below what I had on it at the show.
35.0 gram complete slice - 135mm x 70mm x 1mm - $875

NWA (3118), carbonaceous chondrite (CV3). Found 2003. Tkw = 5895grams.
This, to me, looks the same as NWA (2086), which is on of my favorite meteorites (why oh why didn't I keep more of that 33kg lot I sold off back in 2003 and 2004?). This is loaded with chondrules. Some Allende looks like this stuff, but most is positively uninteresting compared to this material. These are more of the super thin cut wire-sawed samples I got on consignment just before leaving for the show. The small specimens are so thin that I am not going to risk trying to take them out of their mylar boxes to weigh them or try to guestimate their thickness.
a) 16mm x 11mm slice in mylar display box - $15
b) 20mm x 17mm slice in mylar box - $20
c) 28mm x 20mm slice in mylar box - $35
d) 3.0g - 65mm x 58mm slice in riker mount box - $75

LAFAYETTE, Indiana: (Nakhlite) Mars Rock. Found before 1930. Tkw = 800g.
This is the important mars rock that also was about the most perfect oriented meteorite. There is very little of this available (it was cut, but, thankfully, not completely cut up so it is still a pretty impressive display piece for showing classic orientation). This is "just" a small (about 2mm x 1mm) crumb (not many larger pieces of this are available, so most of us have to settle for a crumb if we are going to own any of this one). It comes in a neat Riker display that has a picture of the remaining oriented mass and a picture of Mars.
2mm x 1mm fragment in riker box display - $75

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites - Denver Show info

Denver Show info

Thursday, September 9, 2010 2:44 AM

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-1487

Dear Collectors,

Unfortunately I got to busy and too far behind to pull together an offering (that should have gone out yesterday no less). I did manage to finally pull together all of the paper-work, approvals and everything to get my solar electric system up and running (which is currently producing nearly 3 times my current electric use - at least when the sun is shinning), so I guess that means this is my first "all solar powered" listing. It is nice to have at least one major project completed this challenging summer (several await my attention later, unfortunately. I guess that means I won't be bored this fall).
I am attempting to get prepared for the Denver show now (I leave Saturday afternoon to visit a friend that evening and Sunday). I am probably the most unprepared I have ever been by this short of time before leaving (and I have been doing this show for nearly 25 years now - I don't know for certain if it is this year or next that will be my 25 year anniversary - I'll look it up later). Things may seem a bit less organized in my room for awhile this year, so have a bit of patience if it takes me a little extra time to set up and get my door open (I usually like to open by about 10 or 11AM Tuesday morning, but my need until 12 or 1PM this time, but I will really try to open by 11AM).

Here is the important info:

For those visiting the show:

I will be in my usual location - Room 224 of the Holiday Inn - Denver Central (yep, they changed their name recently). This is at 4849 Bannock St for those of you with address location finding GPS units. It is relatively easy to find for those of you navigating otherwise; it is near the intersection of the two interstate highways that cross Colorado - I-25 and I-70. The easiest method for most would be to take the 58th street exit off of I-25. Go West to 58th's dead end on Bannock. Head South (left turn) and the Holiday Inn will be down a bout a mile on the right (parking close by can be difficult though).

I will be open (as mentioned above) from about 12 noon (hopefully a bit earlier) Tuesday morning (the 14th) through 5pm or so on Sunday (the 19th). I will be open the rest of the show at 10AM and should be open until about 10pm each night (though there is a chance I may take a break and close on Friday at around 7pm to attend the COMETS auction and social gathering - free good micro-brew beer and good fun).

For those of you not coming:

I will be gone from September 11th until the 22nd. We do have a tenuous inter-net connection at the show (funny, I have the same problem in Tucson). So, while it is possible for me to get e-mail (theoretically anyway), the reality is I rarely get to check it (either too busy or connection won't work long enough to complete a response). So, if you are not overseas, the best method to reach me if you really need to during the show is to simply call. The hotel phone number is (303) 292-9500. Ask for room 224 as it seems that the front desk often has no clue of my existence if you simply ask for me by name.

Anybody coming to the show that is looking for specific items, please try and let me know soon so I can be sure to pack such things to bring with me. Same thing goes for those of you that want me to look for items for you while I am at the show.

Hope to see some of you there!

Blaine

Wednesday, 25 August 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 93 25AUG2010

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………….. Meteorite LIST 93

August 25, 2010

Dear Collectors,

I am finally getting a bit better. Not fully recovered (still quite weak, and tire out too easily in my opinion yet) but much better (and well past the contagious stage). I am slowly trying to get caught up and back in the groove. But have patience with me if I end up not being able to jump right on things just yet.

I would have had this offering out yesterday, but I got tied up with a rather difficult (and a but frightening) electrical inspection (I was able to do the very light work of finishing the solar panel wiring while stuck in quarantine here at home). I was warned that the local inspector was a real tough one (he only passes about 10% of the jobs the first visit). I had a few minor things that he wanted changed (and, thankfully, he was willing to let me change them as he watched), BUT he wanted to fail me on the inverter - the really expensive thing that changes the DC from the panels into the AC that the house uses. We live in such an extreme area that the temperatures do occasionally go both above and below the inverter's rated operation range (-25C to 40C). Technically, this is a "fail" for the job. The solution, in his opinion, is to buy a different inverter - a $4000 problem. A bit of discussion and pointing out that it does not reach either extreme all that often (quite a bit more often on the hot end than the cold though) and that the inverter will safely self shut down if either extreme is reached. I got off with a pass but a note that the inverter may eventually have to be replaced if we commonly start hitting those extremes (God, I certainly hope not - it is already plenty hot in the summer and cold in the winter here for me). So, once the electric company changes out the meter, I can start it all up and start operating on my "free" electricity.

These items are a few miscellaneous things and last of an item things I have had sitting around for a good part of the summer now. I hope to have another offering or two before the Denver show (time to try and make up a bit for the 3 shows I lost this summer), but I am not certain that will happen. But, if I do have more things to offer, those lists may (as this one) be a bit skewed from the proper timing (but I will try to stay as close as possible).

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB)>
This is a really nice complete shale-ball. Usually the shale from this meteorite is seen as isolated flakes and angular fragments. This is a nice flattened egg shape (roughly) intact (aside from a few small edge chips) individual.
138.0 gram complete shale ball - 55mm x 40mm x 27mm - $60

SIKHOTE-ALIN, Russia. Coarsest octahedrite (IIAB). Fell February 12, 1947.
Here are a couple special pieces I have had set aside for awhile. One is a shrapnel fragment that has a very interesting set of holes (more like two holes connected to a fairly large central cavern). The other piece is what some call a "half breed". It is mostly a long, really interesting shaped shrapnel fragment but the fatter end of this has a patch (about 50mm x 25mm) of obvious crust and thumb printing. I have only had a few such pieces over the years (and they all have sold quickly).
a) 94.8 gram shrapnel fragment with holes - 45mm x 30mm x 25mm - $90
b) 429.1 gram crusted/ shrapnel "half breed" - 105mm x 40mm x 25mm - $300

BENSOUR, Morocco: (LL6). Fell February 10, 2002. Tkw = 45+kg.
This is a nice little E-Bay or micro-mount lot. These are a bunch of small (generally 2 to 5mm or so) fragments. They are very fresh and most have a good coverage of black crust (many are actually small half stones). I am willing to "part out" this lot if I do not find a home for it intact, so let me know if you really only need 10 or 20g or such.
75gram lot of small (mostly crusted) fragments - $250

GAO, Burkina-Faso: (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.
This is a small slice that was obviously picked up right after it fell. It is likely from a museum trade (unfortunately, I cannot recall where I picked it up from). Its interior is very fresh. It is mostly very light gray (but shows some faint brown spots) and lots of metal. It also has a couple nice patches of black crust along its edges.
5.3 gram fresh slice - 29mm x 11mm x 6mm - $25

HOLBROOK, Arizona: (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a nice complete stone. It looks to be a fairly old recovery as it is still black and has only a few tiny hint of rust spotting. This is a complete individual. The tag on its box says "95% fusion crust" but in reality it is more like 99% (it has a couple tiny chips in the crust), as the 5% section the previous owner was looking at as not crust is really a late break and is completely covered in a thin secondary crust. Nice piece and priced well considering the prices I have seen on recently recovered specimens these days ( $30/g for fragments to $50/gram for complete stones is what they were asking for the things in Tucson this year).
6.5 gram complete individual - 22mm x 15mm x 12mm - $130

LEEDEY, Oklahoma: (L6). Fell November 25, 1943.Tkw = 51.5kg.
This is a really nice fresh part slice (one cut edge). It has great crust along more than 50% of its edges that displays really well (one crusted edge is gently sloped so you get a lot of crust display surface along that edge).
14.1 gram crusted part slice - 30mm x 25mm x 6mm - $100

NWA (1930): (LL3). Found 2003. Tkw = 7.5kg.
This is the last piece of this I have. It is a nice end piece that shows lots of chondrules (wonder why this one never got the 3 subtype). This is a bit weathered (only a W2 though and really solid - no cracks) so there is some brown staining that hides the chondrules a bit along part of the outer edge of the polished face.
29.5 gram end piece - 30mm x 25mm x 22mm - $150

NWA (5425): (H4). Found May 2006. Tkw = 995grams.
This is a basic, low shock level (S1) H-chondrite. It still shows a good amount of porosity (this gets crushed out at higher shock levels) and shows plenty of chondrules in a medium gray/brown matrix. My last piece of this!
28.3 gram cut fragment - 32mm x 28mm x 11mm - $20

PONY CREEK, Texas: (H4). Found 1947. Tkw = 4642 grams.
A little bit of this was cut from the main mass and released by TCU awhile ago (and no more will be cut). It is quite nice stuff : lots of metal in a dark gray/green matrix. This is my last piece.
37.6 gram slice - 53mm x 40mm x 6mm - $120

NWA (6136): carbonaceous chondrite (CO3). Found 2008. Tkw = 4670 grams.
Here is a large display worthy end piece (it even sits nice naturally) at a price equal to or less than what a typical raw (unstudied) CO3 specimen would likely cost direct from Morocco. I actually have the other side of this stone (it is my "CO type" display specimen) as well as some slices that need prep work before I make them available later (at a substantially more realistic price - this big chunk is kind of a "summer", or make up for a difficult summer, special for the time being). Its interior is the typical fairly dark mixed brown and gray matrix and shows lots of really small chondrules (I will be trying to get this thin sub-typed to see just what level of 3 it is). There are also a roughly 25mm x 11m m area that looks like it might be an impact melt zone.
535.8 gram end piece - 100mm x 75mm x 40mm - $2100

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 92 - more small to medium sized miscellaneous.

List 92 - more small to medium sized miscellaneous.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 7:00 AM

Blaine ReedP.O. Box 1141Delta, CO 81416Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………
July 27, 2010

Dear Collectors,I have been so overwhelmed with things around here that I completely forgot that the Creede show dates were changed shortly after I re-signed up for it at the end of last year's show. It is actually August 6-8th, not this weekend (thankfully, I am completely unprepared for a show this weekend. Linda is still not recovered enough from her recent surgery to come along and help if it were this weekend, so I would be on my own - though Mike Martinez, who is visiting right now, was willing to extend his vacation and come along to help if need be).Any way, this offering is probably the simplest I have ever had. I usually like to have some kind of description with each specimen (not really sure if that helps or is just clutter to potential buyers though). Mike typed these in to the computer for me while I worked on other things yesterday and I never got the chance to add any comments since. So - feel free to contact me and ask if you need further details on any specimen you are interested in.

BONDOCK, Philippines: Mesosiderite. Found 195617.6 gram slice - 39mm x 21mm x 6mm - $70 - mostly silicate.

CADDO COUNTY, Oklahoma: Silicated iron. Found 1987. Tkw = 18kg.a) 8.58 gram slice - 32mm x 17mm x 2mm - $130 - mostly iron, nice etch!b) 9.0 gram slice - 40mm x 30mm x 2mm - $200 - super silicate rich.

CLEO SPRINGS, Oklahoma: (H4). Found 1960. Tkw = 24kg.76.7 gram slice - 70mm x 30mm x 13mm - $130

COONANA, S. Australia: (H4). Found 196414.2 gram cut fragment - 35mm x 20mm x 8mm - $55 - this has been "repaired" (a corner glued back on), but it does not show on the polished face at all.

DALGETY DOWNS, Western Australia: (L4). Found 19418.1 gram slice - 21mm x 18mm x 6mm - $15

DHOFAR (007), Oman: (Eucrite). Found 1999. Tkw = 21.2kg..a) .27 gram slice - 10mm x 6mm x 3mm - $5b) 1.8 gram slice - 20mm x 14mm x 3mm - $25

EL HAMMAMI, Africa: (H5). Fell 19976.2 gram slice - 22mm x 15mm x 6mm - $10 - fresh!

ESTACADO, Texas: (H6). Found 18832.5 gram slice - 23mm x 10mm x 2mm - $10

FORESTBURG (b), Texas: (L5). Found 195726.8 gram slice - 40mm x 30mm x 7mm - $45 - nice amount of metal.(this is the better one of the two Forestburg meteorites).

FORREST (002), Western Australia: (L6). Found 198045.7 gram end piece - 50mm x 45mm x 10mm - $80

GAYLORD, Kansas: (H4). Found 198313.8 gram slice - 30mm x 21mm x 6mm - $50

INDOCHINITE: Layered Moung Nong type.56.5 gram complete specimen (no substantial modern breaks) - 55mm x 30mm x 25mm - $20

JILIN, China: (H5). Fell March 8, 19769.2 gram slice - 32mm x 18mm x 5mm - $45 - has a crack (but has not broken - yet) on one side. On the fresher end of what has been available for this meteorite.

LAKE MURRAY, Oklahoma: (IIAB). Found 193320.0 gram oxide Fragment - 30mm x 30mm x 7mm - $20

MARLOW, Oklahoma: (L5). Found February 193620.7 gram slice - 45mm x 26mm x 5mm - $40

McKENZIE DRAW, Texas: (H4). Found 1989. Tkw = 11.8kg.6.4 gram end piece - 32mm x 17mm x 6mm - $20

NWA 869, Africa: (L4). Found 200145.5 gram complete slice - 45mm x 40mm x 9mm - $2512.9 gram slice - 45mm x 18mm x 8mm - $8 - wedged, but has interesting inclusion.

NWA (1068): Martian (Shergottite). Found April 2001. Tkw = 576 grams..150 gram cut fragment - 8mm x 5mm x 3mm - $120

PASAMONTE, New Mexico: (eucrite). Fell March 24, 1933. Tkw = 3.62kg.Approx. .6g of powder in capsule in magnifier box - $40

RENFROW, Oklahoma: (L6). Found 1986. Tkw = 81.6kg.58.0 gram slice - 60mm x 50mm x 6mm - $130

SEIBERT (b), Colorado: (L6). Found 199119.9 gram complete slice - 45mm x 30mm x 6mm - $70 - nice breccia texture.

SLEEPER CAMP (001), Western Australia: (L6). Found 196219.5 gram complete slice - 65mm x 25mm x 5mm - $60

SPRINGER, Oklahoma: (H5). Found 1965. Tkw = 8.3kg.21.8g slice - 44mm x 35mm x 5mm - $75 - lots of metal.

TULIA (a), Texas: (H3/4). Found 19170.7 gram slice - 10mm x 9mm x 4mm - $2

UNKNOWN: NWA specimen.8.3 gram fragment - 20mm x 17mm x 13mm - $4

UNKNOWN: Likely NWA but labeled as SaU (001).36 gram complete individual - 27mm x 27mm x 20mm - $15 - Nice smooth (wind-polished) rounded surfaces.

UVALDE, Texas: (H5). Found 19155.6 gram slice - 23mm x 17mm x 4mm - $30

WAGON MOUND, New Mexico: (L6). Found 193210.7 gram end piece - 42mm x 19mm x 10mm - $ 15
__._,_.___

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 91 - Alan Hills 84001 look-a-like

List 91 - Alan Hills 84001 look-a-like

Blaine Reed

P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………..LIST 91
July 6, 2010

Dear Collectors,

Here is a single (but special) item offering. I hope to be doing more offerings before long (still waiting on more miscellaneous small things from the Florida collection), but their timing my be a bit off of proper, thanks to my busy schedule this month. I will be gone for a couple days this weekend to visit the Durango mineral show (probably Saturday and Sunday). I will be gone again the following weekend, though that will be a bit longer (probably Friday through Tuesday: 16th through the 20th, I believe). Then I have a show that I actually set up for (Creede) at the end of the month (I will have more details on that in a future posting, but the dates for the show are July 30th through August 1st in case anybody out there wants to start making plans to visit this neat show).

NWA (5484). Achondrite (Diogenite). Found 2008. Tkw = 328 grams.
When Matt sent me pictures of this stone (it was quite richly priced for "just a diogenite" raw out of the field, so he wanted an outside opinion), I almost fell over (and started screaming "buy it, buy it, buy it!). This thing looks just like the super famous Alan Hills 84001 (the one that stirred up the life on Mars excitement - something that seems to be rekindling, according to a short article in a recent Popular Science magazine). I have personally seen and held a couple pieces of that stuff, so my alarms went off the second I saw this thing. The same happened with the researchers that started working on this stone. They really thought that it might be another piece of the super special Martian "Diogenite". This really does a good imitation. It has an identical crystal structure, black spots scattered about (chromite, I believe) and even shows a few thin shock veins. Unfortunately, the oxygen isotopes point to a Vesta origin for this thing (and I would guess that they may have double checked those results a couple times to be sure). Most of this material has already found homes. Matt is keeping a full slice (maybe 12 or 13grams) for himself and the main mass is already in a private collection. I have all that is available to collectors. Unfortunately, this consists of a mere 41.7 grams total (and I only have 2 complete slices, so those of you that specialize in complete slices of odd and rare meteorites, please contact me quickly). I don't believe that any Alan Hills 84001 has ever made it into a private collection, but, though a bit expensive for "just a Diogenite", we can at least own and show off a piece of this fantastic look-a-like.

1) Slices:
a) .63 grams - 10mm x 10mm x 2mm - $50
b) 1.04 grams - 14mm x 13mm x 2mm - $80
c) 1.81 grams - 22mm x 13mm x 2mm - $135
d) 3.07 grams - 22mm x 21mm x 2mm - $225
e) 5.59 grams - 36mm x 25mm x 2mm - $400
f) 9.33 grams - 42mm x 32mm x 2mm - $650 - complete slice
g) 12.32 grams - 50mm x 35mm x 2mm - $850 - complete slice

2) Crumbs/ small slices in capsule:
a) .17 grams mostly crumbs (up to a couple mm in size) - $15
b) .45 grams: 6 pieces around 3mm to 5mm in size) - $35

Wednesday, 16 June 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites- List 90 - miscellanous small specimens

List 90 - miscellanous small specimens


Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………..LIST 90

June 16, 2010

Dear Collectors,

I know, here is another offering that missed its due date. I was out of town most of the day yesterday (and on my garage roof the rest of the time, working on finally getting that solar equipment I have had for a bit over a year now so I can finally start getting some of that "free" electricity going - as if $19k and counting could be considered free by any stretch of the imagination).

Last weeks list completely sold out in a few days. I hope I have similar success with this stuff (though I won't be holding my breath). These specimens are all from a collection in Florida. The owner of these passed away a year or so ago and I am helping his widow with finding new homes for them. Most of these are just right for the average collector that wants to add a few names to their collection. Nice specimens that are generally not large and expensive that require one to decide which to skip - the house payment, the car payment, or food on the table to afford. I have many of these and will likely need to do several offerings (once I get them cataloged that is) over the summer to get them all out there.

BARILLA, Texas: (H5). Found 1994. Tkw = 11.1kg.
A nice dark brown square (cut on all sides) slice. Not much visible metal, but a nice specimen none the less.
5.6 gram slice - 19mm x 18mm x 4mm - $30

BILLY GOAT DONGA, Australia: (L6). Found 1962. Tkw = over 1kg.
Nice aesthetic complete slice that is quite fresh (very light tan) in the center (with darker tan to brown around the edges) . Probably from David New years ago.
12.1 gram complete slice - 36mm x 28mm x 5mm - $50

BJURBOLE, Finland: (L/LL4). Fell March 12, 1899. Tkw = 330kg.
This is a typical rounded fragment that shows lots of chondrules (that can be easily rubbed off if handled roughly). Once fairly common, but difficult to find lately.
2.2 gram fragment - 16mm x 11mm x 7mm - $30

CLEO SPRINGS, Oklahoma: (H4). Found 1960. Tkw = 24kg.
This one should have been on the last list, but then it was not received with that batch. This is a small rectangular piece. It has a fairly good amount of metal in a brown and greenish mixed matrix.
1.4 gram slice - 13mm x 8mm x 4mm - $5

DAVY (A), Texas: (L4). Found 1940. Tkw = 50.6kg.
This is a little cut fragment that ultimately came from the Monig Collection at TCU (though I am unsure of who sold it to Ray (it could have been me, but I usually make a point of polishing specimens if I receive them raw off of the saw).
4.0gram cut fragment - 19mm x 14mm x 10mm - $5

DIMBOOLA, Australia: (H5). Found 1944. Tkw = 16kg.
I have no idea the origin of this one. It is a nice complete slice of a natural fragment (and does show some pretty nice crust along one edge). Interior is a medium to dark brown mix but still shows a fair amount of metal, so it is not completely weathered. Nice piece and probably really hard to replace these days.
11.1 gram complete slice - 32mm x 20mm x 6mm - $70

DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942.
This is a really nice little end piece. It shows a lot more chondrules than are usually easily visible in this stuff and the back side has a lot of nice medium chocolate brown crust.
15.0 gram end piece - 39mm x 20mm x 9m - $30

GAO, Burkina Faso: (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.
This is a nice complete little individual. Good crust (mostly dark gray with some brown highlights) that has never been cleaned.
1.5 gram complete individual - 13mm x 10mm x 7mm - $6

HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
This is a nice little (natural, not cleaned) shrapnel piece. By far more interesting shape than most similar sized Henburys.
4.5 grams - 22mm x 7mm x 6mm - $9

IMILAC, Chile: (Pallasite). Found 1822.
A small individual (impact frament?) that has a wild shape and a bit of pinkish weathered olivine in some of the pockets.
1.79 gram fragment - 15mm x 5mm x 4mm - $15

MT. TAZERZAIT, Niger: (L5). Fell August 21, 1991.
Complete slice of a fragment (no crust). Fresh and shows lots of porosity.
2.4 gram slice - 18mm x 15mm x 3mm - $10

NAKHLA, Egypt. Mars rock (Nakhlite). Fell June 28, 1911. Tkw = 10kg.
I know the history of this one. I had a few gram piece that I got from Robert Haag and someone asked me to take a slice off of it for them (for really good money, or I wouldn't have tried it). I learned a lesson about friable meteorites. A large part of the thing fell apart into piles of tiny crumbs on attempting the cut. For years afterwards, I was selling capsules with some of these crumbs (I sure wasn't going to toss the stuff out). This is one of those capsules in a magnifier box from those many years ago.
Capsule with crumbs in a magnifier box - $50

NWA (869), (L4-6) regolith breccia. Found 2001.
This is a nice slice I sold to him a few years ago. It is complete and shows a good number of fairly large breccia fragments. Definitely better than your typical 869 piece.
52.2 gram complete slice - 80mm x 42mm x 4mm - $40

NWA (2086): Carbonaceous (CV3). Found 2003. Tkw = 33kg.
A nice Axtell - looking complete slice.
9.9 gram complete slice - 32mm x 31mm x 4mm - $60

OZONA, Texas: (H6). Found 1929. Tkw = 127.5kg.
Ozona was the first meteorite I bought a block of (from Robert Haag) to cut up and sell when I got started as a dealer nearly 25 years ago. I have not seen much of it lately. This is a little end piece that may have come from him as well (judging be the saw marks - it was cut on a large saw - something I don't have but Robert does).
3.0 gram end piece - 19mm x 12mm x 7mm - $10

PILLISTFER, Estonia: Enstatite chondrite (E6). Fell August 8, 1868. Tkw = 23.25kg.
A small blocky piece that came from me many years ago. Very fresh, light gray color with lots of metal.
.7 gram slice - 9mm x 6mm x 4mm - $50

VACA MUERTA, Chile: (Mesosiderite). Found 1861.
This is a nice little end piece that shows LOTS of metal (rare for this meteorite) so it actually looks like a mesosiderite!
2.2 gram end piece - 15mm x 8mm x 8mm - $6

Tuesday, 1 June 2010

[brmeteorites_list] List 89 - Oklahoma Meteorite rarities

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487

........................... LIST 89

June 1, 2010

Dear Collectors,

Here is a list of some really special and rare (2 falls and 3 carbonaceous!) items from Oklahoma. There are things here that I have only ever seen a piece or two of and some that I have never encountered a sample of before. Only a few couple items here are what I would call generally available (Carnegie, Kingfisher perhaps), but even these are not often encountered these days. These are the ONLY pieces of these I have available, so don't wait to contact me if you want to add any of these named rarities to your collection.

CADDO COUNTY, Oklahoma: (IAB) silicated iron. Found 1987. Tkw = 18 kilograms.
This is the only "iron" on this list. Frankly, it looks more like a stony-iron (definitely NOT your typical silicated iron). The silicates in this piece (making up something like 80% of the specimen) are a mix of quasi-gemmy green and brown crystals. I remember when this stuff first came out. There were many (including researchers) that thought that this was going to be the world's second known Lodranite. This all disappeared into collections quite rapidly. I have not had a piece to offer in many years.
58.1 gram end piece - 50mm x 37mm x 15mm - $1000

AMBER, Oklahoma: (L6). Found 1934. Tkw = 4532 grams.
A single stone was recognized in 1955. There is some suspicion that it could be another piece of Cahion or Kingfisher. I am quite certain that it does not match Kingfisher (as I have a piece here to compare it to). This has a mixed green and brown matrix that shows a few black shock lines (where as Kingfisher is nearly black and shows very little structure). This is one that I have never seen a sample of before. It is from the Dupont collection (through a trade).
10.6 gram 1/4 slice - 50mm x 26mm x 3mm - $100

ATOKA, Oklahoma: (L6). Fell September 17, 1945. Tkw = 1384 grams.
A number of fragments of this were recovered. Most of this is tied up in museum collections (I believe this one came from the Monig collection) so very little has been available to collectors (A have only seen/ handled a few grams of this stuff over the years). This is a fresh elongate part slice (2 cut edges) that has fresh crust along one 10mm long edge.
2.07 gram part slice - 22mm x 9mm x 2.5mm - $300

BURNS FLAT, Oklahoma: (L6). Found 1971. Tkw = 1987 grams.
This is a nice 1/2 slice. This is fairly fresh stuff. It has a nice light tan to light brown interior with lots of metal (for an L). Most ( about 2/3) of the edge shows fairly thick black to chocolate brown crust. I sold Jim this specimen, but I don't recall much about the stuff (it was 8 or more years ago), other than that only a few slices were available to collectors.
64.8 gram 1/2 slice - 65mm x 60mm x 6mm - $390

CARNEGIE, Oklahoma: (L6). Found 1963. Tkw = 132.7 kilograms.
A single large stone was found while terracing a field. There was a fair amount of this available years ago (even though the bulk of the stuff went into the Huss collection). It has been fairly scarce recently. I think I had a large (expensive) piece, from the same person that owns this one, a couple years ago. Here is a good affordable sample to add to your collection.
19.0 gram 1/2 end piece (book-end cut) - 53mm x 29mm x 6mm - $50

EVA, Oklahoma: (H5), polymict breccia. Found 1965. Tkw = 6.7 kilograms.
One fragment that was likely less than 1/2 of the original mass was found (the other piece was never located, at least it has not been reported). This is a specimen from the Dupont collection and another one of those that I have never seen a piece of before.
14.9 gram part slice - 32mm x 27mm x 6mm - $135

KEYES, Oklahoma: (L6). Found 1939. Tkw = 142 kilograms.
Interesting in that it has a large known weight, but this is the first piece of this meteorite I have encountered (another Dupont collection trade). This is an aesthetic specimen. It is a mixed very light tan/gray with dark brown blotches in the interior. This also has two museum collection numbers on it (one Dupont?).
12.47 gram slice - 40mm x 33mm x 3mm - $80

KINGFISHER, Oklahoma: (L5). Found 1950. Tkw = 8.18 kilograms.
This is a nice 1/2 slice from the Monig collection. It has three different Labels on it; one is a had-written label (name and weight) done on a sticker by Art Ehlmann at TCU, another is a Monig number (M219.2) likely painted on by Glenn Huss (he did a bunch of cataloging and labeling work for the Monig collection years ago) and a third that is simply a typed (on cloth and lacquered to the specimen) 28:5 above the Monig number (no idea of origin of this one).
42.9 gram 1/2 slice - 75mm x 45mm x 4mm - $170

LOGAN, Oklahoma: (H5). Found 1923. Tkw = 45.5 kilograms.
Two weathered masses (of 43kg and 2.5kg) were reported (in April of 1939) as being found. This is another where the bulk (pretty much all?) of the material is tied up in museum collections (this one came from the Dupont collection).
9.0 gram end piece - 27mm x 18mm x 17mm - $100

COLONY, Oklahoma: Carbonaceous Chondrite (CO3.0). Found 1975. Tkw = 3912 grams.
This stone was found stuck in the tines of a cotton cultivator. It is a super rare (and highly desired) type 3.0! There used to be a fair amount of this available years ago (at around $100/g), but I have seen very little in recent years.
3.48 gram 1/2 slice - 23mm x 20mm x 3mm - $435

CRESCENT, Oklahoma: Carbonaceous (CM2). Fell August 17, 1936. Tkw = 78.4 grams.
Wow, now this is a rare one! I think this may be the rarest witnessed fall I have ever handled. This piece has it all; rare type, tiny total known weight and even shows a good patch of fusion crust (about 12mm x 9mm).
1.09 gram fragment with crust - 15mm x 12mm x 7mm - $1900

WEATHERFORD, Oklahoma: Carbonaceous Bencubbinite (CBa). Found 1926. Tkw = 2 kilograms.
This is another extreme rarity. I got a larger (4 or 8 gram, I don't recall) piece for the current owner years ago. He had it wire-sawed into a few thinner pieces (I think I sold one piece off for him a few years ago, other pieces probably helped trade for some of the things listed here). These are the only samples of this meteorite I have ever had (and the only US Bencubbinite I have ever handled). This is a nice aesthetic thin slice that shows a great mix of silicate areas and metal blobs. Small by weight, but still very representative in texture.
1.83 gram part slice - 18mm x 13mm x 2mm - $1000

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 88

Blaine Reed

P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………..LIST 88

May 18, 2010

Dear Collectors,

Here is one of a series of lists over the next couple months (when I am home that is) that is recently received (or soon to be received) consigned items. I will try to keep these to their proper scheduled times, but some my vary so don't be to surprised if a list shows up off schedule.
Please contact me as soon as possible on these as I will only be home for today and tomorrow (I have been on a home 2 days gone 5 or 6 day schedule lately and will be through at least the end of May, unfortunately). Feel free to leave a message (phone is best while I am here e-mail on the days I am gone might be better as there is a chance I may be able to borrow a computer and check those while gone). I should be back home by Tuesday evening next week if you want to talk too me after this Thursday morning (I will be leaving about 10AM).

DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942, recognized as distinct fall in 1950. Tkw = about 200kg.
This is a small cut fragment that has been coated (lacquer?) to help bring out the structure and chondrules (that usually are nearly invisible in this stuff). This is definitely Dimmitt and contrasts distinctly different in appearance from the Tulia listed below (these would make a good pair - showing the real difference between these long confused meteorites).
9.6 gram cut fragment - 30mm x 15mm x 7mm - $15

FAUCETT, Missouri: (H5). Found 1966. Tkw = 100 kilograms.
Here is a nice little 1/2 slice (one cut edge remainder is mostly crusted but part looks like it may be a natural break) of this now difficult to obtain meteorite. I once had quite a bit of this, but this is the first piece I have had in a number of years now.
9.6 gram slice - 33mm x 21mm x 4mm - $45

JILIN, China: (H5). Fell March 1976. Tkw = 4 tons.
Here are a couple slices of this huge fall. The largest recovered piece was 1770 kilograms and is still, I believe, the largest single stone meteorite in the world. The smaller piece here is likely an earlier recovery as it is lighter in color and has a bit fresher crust. The larger piece though shows some shock features and hints of breccia clasts.
a) 4.6 gram slice - 24mm x 24mm x 2mm - $25
b) 12.8 gram slice - 40mm x 35mm x 3mm - $60

NADIABONDI, Burkina-Faso, Africa: (H5). Fell July 27, 1956. Tkw = 8.165 kilograms.
I know there has been a bit of controversy over what is really this fall and misidentified pieces of Gao. This piece does have a different appearance than most of the Gaos I have seen. This is far fresher (showing a light matrix with only a light amount of overall brown staining whereas most Gaos are quite brown) and this has a very uniform H5 texture (whereas Gaos are brecciated and usually show at least some fragmentation, even in fairly small specimens). Though it would be impossible to be absolutely certain (with out detailed research lab analysis) that this is not simply a mislabeled Gao, I am quite comfortable calling it a real Nadiabondi specimen.
7.2 gram end piece - 26mm x 21mm x 6mm - $35

NWA (065): (H5). Found August 6, 2000. Tkw = 5094 grams.
This is different looking stuff. It is very porous (it likely suffered little shock in its life) looking more like a piece of sandstone (though one that has a good number of obvious chondrules) than a meteorite at first glance. It has weathered some such that it has an interesting reddish-brown color (but still shows a fair amount of metal. These are nearly complete slices. They each have one 35mm cut edge with the remainder being natural.
a) 18.4 gram slice - 50mm x 35mm x 5mm - $35
b) 25.4 gram slice - 53mm x 37mm x 6mm - $48

NWA (096): (H3.8). Found summer 2000. Tkw = 2510 grams.
Wow. This one is for breccia collectors. It is lightly weathered (somewhat brown stained over all but still shows lots of metal). It has several obvious lighter clasts in a slightly darker matrix. This also has a couple 5mm to 8mm sized dark inclusions (shock melt pockets?). The larger one even appears to have some vesicles!
14.4 gram slice - 43mm x 27mm x 4.5mm - $70

NUEVO MERCURIO, Mexico: (H5). Fell December 15, 1978. Tkw = 9+ kilograms.
This is a natural fragment with some crust (a couple 5mm to 1cm sized patches).
6.1 gram fragment - 24mm x 20mm x 7mm -$35

THUATHE, Lesotho: (H4/5). Fell July 21, 2002. Tkw = about 30 kilograms.
This is a nice complete stone that only shows a couple late fall chipped areas (around 5x5mm and 5x9mm). The remainder is covered with black crust. Though there are a couple more similar sized areas to the above chips that are coated with a medium level secondary crust, the bulk of this stone has well developed crust - fairly rare for stones of this fall.
6.8 gram individual - 22mm x 22mm x 22mm - $120

TULIA (a), Texas: (H5). Found 1917. Tkw = 77+ kilograms.
The tag says (H3-4) but this is wrong. A piece of (the then unrecognized but close by) Dimmitt meteorite was mixed up with real Tulia when the analysis was done. This is obviously not a piece of Dimmitt. This shows lots of metal and troilite in a dark (almost black) matrix. Dimmitts are more dark brown than black, show more abundant chondrules (if you look carefully) and very little metal.
16.3 gram slice - 42mm x 20mm x 5mm - $30

WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS, Arizona: (H5), breccia. Fell June 23, 2009. Tkw = 2.14 kilograms.
This piece was put on display for a special event (Arizona Meteorite Exhibition) at the U of A on January 30, 2010. Sample of all known Arizona meteorites were put on display for that one evening (which I, unfortunately, missed as this was my first day of the Tucson show and very busy). This is a beautiful slice that clearly shows two different lithologies. It is highly polished on both sides and has fresh black crust along about 30% of its edge (other parts look to be natural break). This piece also comes with the info card it was displayed with during the exhibition.
6.88 gram slice - 30mm x 23mm x 3.5mm - $1050

MOUNT EDGERTON, Australia: (anomalous Aubrite). Found 1941. Tkw = 22+ kilograms.
This is another item I used to have quite a bit of (but around 15 or 20 years ago) but have not seen in quite awhile. This is a natural blocky fragment of enstatite. It is covered by a nice, natural, orange patina (with only one tiny sub-millimeter fresh break hidden in a crevice) and shows a few almost black patches of iron.
2.9 gram fragment - 17mm x 10mm x 10mm - $75

Tuesday, 4 May 2010

Blaine Reed ………………LIST 87

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………………………………LIST 87

May 4, 2010

Dear Collectors,
Here is an e-mail version of my recently mailed paper list (those of you on my mailing list should be receiving this today).
I have been out of touch a lot as I have been a bit pre-occupied with other issues lately. My mother just passed away after a difficult battle with cancer (as if there really is any other kind). Last minutes visiting and now dealing with cleaning up an estate (my second in the last few months now - I lost my Aunt in December and got done with her estate mere days before leaving for the Tucson show) has left little time for the usual stuff lately. This list (that should have gone out a couple weeks ago) may seem a bit "thrown together" because it kind of is. I generally have a lot of things sitting around in various stages of readiness to sell. Unfortunately I found, on closer inspection, that many were not as ready as I had imagined (and I had no time to get them ready either). Anyway, I think that I was able to pull together a fairly nice selection of things (mostly named no less!) to offer none the less. Please be patient if you do not hear back form me right away if you call (please: leave a message if I don't answer. I will set aside things you ask for and call back as soon as I can). I will be needing to make many trips to Denver over the next couple months so there may be some delays in my usual response times from time to time. But I will respond when I get the chance (and ship specimens as soon as possible).

CAMPO DEL CIELO: Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
I generally try to have a selection of the various major types of meteorites on my lists, but could not come up with anything for an iron this time. Linda came up with it for me. She asked if I had ever offered any of my Campo nuggets. I have been offering them for years at shows (where they have proven to be very popular) but I don't recall ever putting them on a list to collectors. These are shiny, angular metal chunks that are created by freezing a large Campo piece in liquid nitrogen and then breaking it apart. It generally breaks apart along the crystal structure making for an unnatural but interesting quasi - 3D view of Widmanstatten (Thomson) structure (I say quasi as this meteorite's structure is coarse enough to not show real clear in these relatively small pieces). These have also been tumbled to remove sharp edges. Not natural, but these make great little carry in your pocket or gift specimens. I also have these as pendants. These have a small loop soldered to them so they can be easily hung on a chain for wearing.
1) Fragments "as formed":
a) 4.1 grams - 12mm x 8mm x 5mm - $4.00
b) 8.3 grams - 22mm x 12mm x 6mm - $8.00
c) 15.1 grams - 25mm x 13mm x 11mm - $15.00
d) 25.2 grams - 26mm x 18mm x 15mm - $23.00
e) 34.7 grams - 25mm x 25mm x 14mm - $30.00
2) Pendants:
a) about 3grams (about 15mm x 10mm x 6mm) - $5.00
b) about 6 grams (about 17mm x 13mm x 10mm) - $10.00
c) 14.7 grams - 20mm x 14mm x 13mm - $20.00
d) 26.9 grams - 28mm x 23mm x 13mm - $30.00

HOWE, Texas: (H5). Found 1938. Tkw = 8.63kg.
A single stone was recovered, as reported by A.D. Nininger in 1940. Most of this (about 7.2kg according to my old Catalogue of Meteorites) ended up in museum and research institute collections. These few pieces (and I do mean few - I have only a little over 100g total of this available) were cut from a specimen in the Monig Collection at TCU. I have been told that there are no intentions to cut any more of this, so get it while you can. This is somewhat weathered material (has some cracks) but is still fresh enough to show lots of fine metal grains in a dark gray/ green matrix.
1) Slices:
a) 4.6 grams - 26mm x 17mm x 4mm - $37.00
b) 10.3 grams - 36mm x 19mm x 5mm - $82.00
c) 18.7 grams - 50mm x 27mm x 5mm - $145.00
d) 23.3 grams - 52mm x 30mm x 5mm - $175.00

JUANCHENGE, China: (H5). Fell February 15, 1997. Tkw = about 100 kilograms.
This is one of those super popular "hammer stones" as one piece of this fall fell through a roof and landed in a pot on a stove. I thought all I had were broken fragments of this remaining. I came across a small bag of beautiful individuals while doing inventory in December. Actually, they were individuals that had adhering dirt and such until Mike Martinez did a truly wonderful job of giving them a GENTLE air blasting for me (it is very easy to mess up a good stone by over doing this or using the wrong cleaning material). These are all complete (there are some very minor natural dings and areas of secondary crust on some) stones showing fresh fully textured (this is a big part of the proper cleaning) black fusion crust.
1) Complete individuals:
a) 4.0 grams - 15mm x 14mm x 10mm - $20.00
b) 8.5 grams - 22mm x 17mm x 12mm - $40.00
c) 16.1 grams - 24mm x 20mm x 15mm - $75.00
d) 25.0 grams - 31mm x 23mm x 18mm - $110.00

NWA (2970): (H6). Found before September 2005. Tkw = several hundred kilos ?.
This is some stuff I have had sitting in a couple buckets for many years. Adam Hupe and I both got a good amount of this when we both decided to buy up fairly large quantities of "cheap" Moroccan stuff while it could still be acquired. We noticed that a bunch of the boxes we got looked to be the same material. Cutting open numerous pieces (along with the confirmation from the seller that it did come from one source and likely one strewn field) also showed that it was all likely one fall. Later research showed that it was all an (H6) regolith breccia. Unfortunately, this is fairly weathered stuff (most pieces are relatively solid but fairly cracked, the reason I have not cut any yet, but I do hope to offer some cut pieces of this in the future), but it is very cheap for a studied meteorite. Definitely not real pretty, but quite interesting scientifically.
1) Fragments as found:
a) 21.0 grams - 38mm x 27mm x 16mm - $5.00
b) 48.5 grams - 50mm x 30mm x 17mm - $10.00
c) 111.5 grams - 43mm x 41mm x 29mm - $22.00
d) 205.4 grams - 77mm x 52mm x 26mm - $40.00
e) 476.5 grams - 90mm x 75mm x 40mm - $90.00
f) 857.0 grams - 110mm x 80mm x 80mm - $150.00
g) 1365.6 grams - 120mm x 110mm x 60mm - $225.00

ZAG, Morocco: (H3-6). Fell August 4 or 5, 1998. Tkw = about 175kg.
I got these wonderful pieces from Al Mitterling during the last Denver show. He had been cutting up a couple blocks and brought slices for me to sell on consignment (I ended up buying them). These are very nice. Most (larger specimens in particular) show both the light (H6) and dark (H3) textures to varying degrees. Many of these pieces also have some black fusion crust along parts of their edge as well. This is very special stuff scientifically. It is the second meteorite (after Monahans, Texas which fell in March of 1998) that was found to contain crystals of Halite (salt) that show liquid water was present at some point on the parent body of these meteorites. A highly important meteorite at a really low price.
1) Part slices:
a) 8.4 grams - 32mm x 17mm x 4mm - $21.00
b) 12.9 grams - 31mm x 24mm x 4mm - $32.00
c) 26.3 grams - 41mm x 33mm x 6mm - $65.00
d) 54.8 grams - 64mm x 56mm x 5mm - $130.00
e) 89.1 grams - 92mm x 70mm x 4mm - $200.00

NWA (2824): (Diogenite, Ibitira parent body). Found 2005. Tkw = 485 grams.
This was one that took some work to even show it really was a meteorite. It was a smooth, rounded dark gray/brown lump that even showed a few milky white blobs (that really looked like quartz) on its exterior. I hacked (hard to get a good smooth cut with too small of a saw while holding, by hand, such a round rock) a piece off and sent it off for a look. It did turn out to be a meteorite! It took many years to nail down just what it was though. It is primarily orthopyoroxene (making it a "Diogenite") , but yet the rest of its chemistry (including the large plagioclase crystals - the things that superficially looked like quartz) was all wrong for this being a diogenite. Oxygen isotope work was eventually done on this strange rock. It revealed that its origin was not Vesta but likely from the same parent body as the strange vesiculated Ibitira "eucrite". Further work revealed that this also contains (though rare) vesicles that are lined with vapor phase deposited mineral crystals.
1) Slices:
a) .12 grams - 7mm x 4mm x 1.5mm - $20.00
b) .25 grams - 9mm x 7.5mm x 1mm - $40.00
c) .56 grams - 13mm x 8mm x 1.5mm - $85.00
d) 1.2 grams - 15mm x 15mm x 1.5mm - $180.00
e) 2.4 grams - 32mm x 17mm x 1.5mm - $400.00 - shows light through 2 plagioclase crystals!
f) 4.8 grams - 37mm x 28mm x 1.5mm - $700.00
g) 9.9 grams - 63mm x 42mm x 1.5mm - $1350.00
h) 13.4 grams - 55mm x 52mm x 1.5mm - $1900.00 - complete, several light passing crystals!

Please include postage: a couple dollars on small U.S. orders and $10 on large items for first class (insurance is extra, if desired). On small overseas orders, $3 to $5 is generally plenty (I'll have to custom figure the rate for large items). Registration is also recommended on more valuable overseas shipments - an extra $12.00.
If you are sending a fax, simply begin transmitting when my line is answered. My fax will turn on automatically to receive (or I will start it if I answer) when you begin transmitting.

Friday, 12 March 2010

brmeteorites_list] List 86 - even more "after Tucson" stuff

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 3:20 AM
From:
"brmeteorites"


Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………..LIST 86

March 9, 2010

Dear Collectors,
Here is my last consigned items from the show list (I think, more might turn up as I dig around a bit more later). I know that this is supposed to go out next week, but I plan on being on the road next week. I may be leaving as early as Tuesday (but more likely Wednesday) so, obviously, I would not have any time to take and ship orders. I don't know exactly how long I will be gone (I hope to schedule a short meteorite hunting trip along the way) but I should be home by the 24th.

CALDWELL, Kansas: (L - impact melt breccia). Found 1961. Tkw = 12.9kg.
I got this from Steve Arnold of "Meteorite Men" fame. He said that Nininger and Monig (I think, it might have been Dupont) tried for years to get this from the finder. They had no luck as was the case with Steve and I (we had tried to buy it a couple times over the years). The family finally decided to let it go a couple years ago (under consignment, I believe). I have a few small slices here. I don't know who cut these, but they are a bit wedged, unfortunately. They are fairly nondescript in appearance; a mottled mix of dark green and brown matrix with no real visible metal. Interesting though in its history and the fact that L-melts are generally quite rare (particularly named ones) and expensive (I have heard that this stuff has been offered typically for $12+/g).
a) 2.1 gram part slice - 28mm x 17mm x 1.5mm - $15
b) 3.0 gram part slice - 30mm x 14mm x 3mm - $21
c) 4.5 gram part slice - 32mm x 17mm x 2mm - $31
d) 6.7 gram part slice - 34mm x 17mm x 4mm - $45

NOYAN BOGDO, Mongolia: (L6). Fell September 1, 1933. Tkw = 250 grams +.
The total known weight of this is officially reported as only 250grams. I know that this is wrong as I have nearly that much sitting right here. These slices were obviously cut from a fairly large stone. They are quite fresh. The interior is mostly white with some pale brown/ orange spotting. The crust along the edges of these is black and fresh (and the largest piece has a small spot where it is also bubbly, leaving me to wonder if this large stone was not oriented). The large slice showed up with a small amount of shipping damage. A small corner got broken off in transit too me. I put it back with a small spot of glue (that could be easily removed if someone absolutely could not live with a "repaired" specimen) as the specimen is too nice a display piece to risk having these two pieces not remain together.
a) 86.8 gram 1/4 slice - 70mm x 60mm x 6mm - $600 - crust along 2 sides.
b) 147.9 gram 1/2 slice - 120mm x 70mm x 6mm - $1000 - only 1 cut edge (remainder crusted).

NWA (1906): (R4). Found 2003. Tkw = 560 grams.
One stone was recovered and, judging by the shape of these pieces, must have been nearly as round as a marble. This could not have been easy to cut (and this may show in the fact that both of these are slightly wedged, but nicer than some of the results I have gotten when trying to cut nearly round meteorites). This is fairly dark (unlike the other R - chondrites I have had), showing lots of chondrules in a dark brown and gray mottled matrix. Both slices are complete and show crust around the whole edge (aside from a couple minor chipped areas).
a) 22.7 gram complete slice - 55mm x 50mm x 2.5mm - $230
b) 28.5 gram complete slice - 60mm x 58mm x 3mm - $285

MOAPA VALLEY, Nevada: Carbonaceous (CM1). Found 2004. Tkw = 699grams.
A single black stone was found. After cutting it revealed a nearly featureless (to the naked eye) dark black interior, almost resembling a charcoal brickette (both internally and externally). Many (including the finder) wondered if it really was a meteorite at all. However, it does show some really obvious (to me anyway) fusion crust on some pieces (the 4.18g piece below has a nice 15mm x 6mm patch along its edge, for example). I was told that this is the second known (CM1) from outside of Antarctica, but I could find no records of another officially reported (it may be that the supposed other - a small 30g or so NWA stone, has not made it through reporting yet). This is an important opportunity for those of you collecting all the different meteorite types (the owner is not sure if and how much of the remaining material he will cut. He is hoping the bulk of it will go to a museum). I know I got my piece.
a) .012 grams of small fragments (each 1mm to 2mm in size) - $12
b) .093 gram cut fragment - 5mm x 4mm x 2mm - $75
c) .127 gram cut fragment - 6mm x 5mm x 3mm - $100
d) 4.18 gram slice - 28mm x 12mm x 6mm - $3150 (some crust along edge).

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 85

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………..LIST 85

March 2, 2010

Dear Collectors,
Here is another batch of "after Tucson" material. Please let me know fairly soon if you would like to have anything from this offering (or the last one for that matter) as I do need to start returning some of these things to their owners (not a problem to set things aside for a later if you need, so don't hesitate to ask).

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona. Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
Here is a beautiful complete slice that is etched on both sides and shows a really large roughly tear-drop shaped troilite inclusion (about 60mm x 20mm). I don't get many slices of Diablo as few people like to risk more saw blades on cutting it (anybody that has cut much of this stuff eventually ends up trashing an expensive blade or two on the occasional diamond found in this meteorite). This is a particularly nice piece.
518.4 gram complete slice - 190mm x 120mm x 4mm - $500

GLORIETTA MOUNTAIN, New Mexico: (Pallasite). Found 1884. Tkw = about 300kg.
This is a beautiful complete slice from the 135 kilogram main mass that was found May 19th, 2007. It is etched on both sides and shows one of the strongest and best etch patterns available. This is a real museum quality specimen.
1252.3 gram complete slice - 300mm x 185mm x 3mm - $4000

SEYMCHAN, Russia: (Pallasite). Found 1967.
Now here is a real museum piece. It is a 110 kilogram (roughly - it is way too heavy for any of my scales, and this is the weight that it was originally sold as and I have no reason to doubt it) complete slice! This is a thick piece so it could be cut into many nice thinner gigantic slices if one has the right equipment (which I definitely do not, unfortunately) . It is currently in Phoenix with its owner (who bought it a few years ago when such huge pieces could be found - no more of these are available from the sources now). It is simply (probably not so "simply" done in reality) polished on both sides at this point, but I have never seen a piece of this stuff that does not etch up beautifully. I will have a couple photos available of this monster soon for those of you interested.
110kg complete slice - 56cm x 35cm x 11cm - $25,000

HOLBROOK, Arizona: (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
Here is a nice complete individual that was a relatively recent find. Even though it has been on the ground for nearly 100 years now, it still looks quite fresh. The crust (completely covering the specimen) is still black with some mixed dark chocolate brown spots and shows some nice super fine contraction cracks.
2.36 gram complete individual - 17mm x 10mm x 7mm - $80

NUEVO MERCURIO, Mexico: (H5). Fell December 15, 1978.
Here is an assortment of the more typical fragments and chipped edge individuals (though a couple of these are quite complete) from this popular fall. These were picked up a bit after the fall (as the majority were) so they show some very minor brown spotting, but still have predominantly black crust. I do still have the unusually large and nice specimen offered last week if anyone out there has decided that they want something a bit larger than today's offerings.
a) 9.7 gram complete individual - 30mm x 16mm x 10mm - $65 - truly complete but shows lots of secondary crust - interesting!
b) 10.6 gram individual with broken end - 20mm x 15mm x 14mm - $70 - Thick crust except 20mm x 15mm natural break at one end.
c) 18.4 gram individual - 27mm x 20mm x 15mm - $120 - has the usual chipped edges (very Allende like).
d) 21.3 gram individual - 30mm x 22mm x15mm - $140 - Nice thick crust except a roughly 25mm x 6mm chipped edge. A very nice piece.

NWA (2086): (CV3). Found November 2003. Tkw = about 33kilograms.
This is one of my favorite meteorites (and one of my customer's favorites as I have quickly sold out of all the pieces of any meaningful size I had). This material shows one of the best chondrule-rich CV3 structures available at any price. It has loads of chondrules and CAIs in a generally light background. This looks very similar to Axtell, but at 1/10th the price! This is a fantastic thin complete slice.
48.2 gram complete slice - 135mm x 75mm x 2mm - $500

DHOFAR (007), Oman: (Eucrite). Found December 4, 1999. Tkw = 21.2 kilograms.
This is a fantastic display piece of this strange meteorite (I am getting one prepared to keep for my collection). It is a complete slice from a large mass. It shows lots of fragments of varying textures and a good number of fine black shock veins between many of them. This looks generally similar to other eucrites but the chemistry of this thing indicates that it is not from Vesta (as are most eucrites), but possibly from the parent body of mesosiderites.
33.6 gram complete slice - 125mm x 110mm x 1mm - $750

NWA (5000): Lunar feldspathic leucogabbroic breccia. Found July 2007. Tkw = 11,528 grams.
Here is a nice 1/4 slice (2 cut edges others are natural) that has the classic moon rock look (lots of angular white to light tan fragments of all sizes up to about 5mm in a dark gray matrix. This is in a fancy glass topped display box (that looks to be black leather) and comes with a folder full of info about the meteorite in general and this specimen in particular.
1.73 gram part slice - 22mm x 16mm x 2mm - $1700

DALGARANGA, Australia: (Mesosiderite) . Found 1923. Tkw = 10+ kilograms.
I have not seen any of this stuff in a long time. These are "typical" specimens of this meteorite from what I remember. They are generally angular fragments that are orange to dark brown colored. They stick to a magnet very well, but my recollection is that most of this material did not show a lot of metal when cut (the reason, aside from the fact that these are not mine, that I didn't make end pieces out of some of these). Anyway, this is a good chance to add a rare (but affordable) mesosiderite to your collection.
a) 4.3 gram fragment - 20mm x 11mm x 9mm - $17
b) 6.2 gram fragment - 19mm x 15mm x 14mm - $25
c) 9.4 gram fragment - 21mm x 19mm x 12mm - $38
d) 40.5 gram fragment - 40mm x 35mm x 15mm - $150