P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
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LIST 228
July 23, 2019
Well, summer has certainly arrived here. We had a fairly nice, mild (and damp) spring this year. In fact, I actually spent the 4th of July up at A-Basin ski area skiing! It is a rare year that they get to sty open for the 4th (I think it was around 8 or 9 years ago that they last pulled it off). Normally, we break 100 by the end of May. This year we made it all the way into July before seeing or first 100 degree day (it was just over 102 about a week and a half ago). Right now, we are getting the full sun hot treatment usually reserved for June. We have been right at (or slightly above) 100 for the past week. Supposedly, we have some rain (and very slightly cooler temps – but still solidly in the mid 90s or higher) coming later this week.
Anyway, here is a summer offering of a few things I found sitting in the “new” or “rediscovered” pile. Looking at the group photo, I see that the structure of the Zagora didn't turn out. I'll try and get a better picture of this (so the silicates at least show) if anyone does end up being interested in this piece.
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| CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE. Blaine Reed Meteorite List 228 |
This is a mostly natural, as found fragment/ partial individual. It shows fusion crust on around 50% of the surface. The remainder of the stone is in the form of two relatively flat ancient breaks. Despite the obvious (to me and likely to most other meteorite collectors anyway) fusion crust, it seems the finder (or someone that they gave it to) ground down a bit of one of the flat break surfaces to show fresh metal, likely to prove that this was indeed a meteorite. I believe that this was a Linton Rohr piece but I did not find a Rohr collection label to go with it when I picked up this (and other) piece back before this year’s Tucson show.
16.3 gram natural fragment with crust – 25mm x 22mm x 18mm - $25
MOLDAVITE:
This is a selection of 10 really nice small complete specimens (I don’t see any fresh fracture surfaces on any of these) that I picked up in a trade in Tucson this past February. These are mostly elongate, quasi-teardrop shaped that measure around 20mm to 25mm long. These are in an 8cm x 5.5cm plastic display box.
10 nice individuals. 6.5 grams total in display box - $50 SOLD OUT
NWA (1950): Martian (Shergottite), Iherzoltitc. Found January and March 2001. Tkw = 812 grams.
This has two different find dates as two different paired stones were found (one in each month). This is a “peridotitic” cumulate that is mostly olivine (55%), pyroxenes (35%) and plagioclase. This is indeed an interesting looking meteorite. These pieces show dark (dark gray to black) angular to sub-angular crystals (the olivine I think) in a light green matrix. It seems there is a reason that this does not look “typical” to me. It seems that it really isn’t. From a little poking around I see information that seems to be saying that this is the ONLY Iherzolitic shegottite available to collectors. The others are, supposedly, all from Antarctica and more weathered. Not sure how true this is, but it does show that this is something far more interesting than just a shegottite. This “lot” consists of pieces that I think are leftovers or broken off of larger pieces while cutting and polishing. There are two large pieces (one slice and one end piece/ cut fragment) that are around 8mm to 10mm in size, one medium sized slice (around 5mm or so across) and some small (around 2-3mm) fragments (around 5 pieces). The three large pieces each have fusion crust along a decent part of their edges. These are in a 7cm by 6cm glass fronted plastic display box. I have priced this considerably lower than the few prices I could find for this material elsewhere (which were around $1k to $2k/ gram).
.87 grams of slices and fragments in display box - $500
NWA (6903): Iron. Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 2008. Tkw = 50 kilograms.
This is a small piece of a nice medium octahedrite that I offered (and sold out of) on a mailed list some time ago. This particular piece got misplaced somehow or it too would likely have been sold back then. This is a rectangular specimen with one small natural (but highly cleaned) edge and is etched on both sides. I had this priced at $4/g when I originally offered it on my list but I am pricing it a bit cheaper here to “get it out of inventory” (so I no longer have to keep track of it as a separate inventory item) and give someone a fairly good middle of summer deal.
16.6 gram etched part slice – 32mm x 14mm x 4mm - $50
NWA (8179): Achondrite. (Ureilite). Found 2013. Tkw = 245 grams.
This is interesting stuff. It certainly does not look like a typical ureilte. It seems that the research work on it also showed that this is indeed not a typical ureilite. The research description says that this is a “relatively coarse-grained, protogranular aggregate of predominantly olivine (with reduced rims containing stained Fe metal) accompanied by minor orthopyroxene and pigionite”. It seems that (aside from its strange texture) that this is unusual in that it does contain orthopyroxene in addition the usual pigionitic pyroxene found in ureilites. The appearance of this is a mottled mix of light tan (nearly white in some spots) to medium brown matrix that has a lot of really fine brown veins running through it. I am not certain if these are shock related (this meteorite is listed as “moderate” in shock level) or from weathering of fresh metal (some of which is visible in this piece along one edge. An interesting specimen (that is a complete slice of a fragment) that is in a 7cm x 6cm glass fronted display case.
6.3 gram complete slice – 40mm x 25mm x 2mm - $175
TOLUCA, Mexico: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1776.
I have always found it odd that this meteorite is called a “coarse” octahedrite. Most of the etched pieces I have ever seen (and that includes this one) show more of a really nice medium octahedrite etch. This is a part slice that is etched on both sides. It, overall, is roughly square in shape and has one natural edge (the 3 others are cut edges). Other than showing a nice etch, this slice also has a couple (roughly 10mm to 15mm sized) troilite surrounded by graphite inclusions. A nice etched slice of a meteorite that I have seen very little of in recent years.
56.1 gram etched part slice – 45mm x 42mm x 4mm - $110
ZAGORA, Morocco: Iron. (IAB) with silicate inclusions. Found 1987. Tkw = 20+ kilograms.
This is a fairly thick part slice that I picked up from a collector who was letting go of a few items from his collection. He was not sure of the ID on this. He had not written down the name, assuming he’d always remember it (like I do sometimes) and then didn’t (also something I am guilty of). However, he had notes showing that he got this over 20 years ago. Well, pretty much the only silicated irons available back then were Zagore and (occasionally) Udei Station. This certainly looks like Zagora and the XRF tends to support this. Also, the thick cut was certainly something not uncommon back then for this material either. This has two cut edges with the remainder (a bit over 50% of the edge) being natural.
24.7 gram part slice – 25mm x 20mm x 7mm - $125
