Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 190 - Moon rocks
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
……………………………………………………LIST 190
May 11, 2016
Dear collectors,
Here is an assortment of older Lunar slices that I had on display over in Montrose (I picked them up yesterday). I had left them there for a few years so that the folks of Montrose who thought they were plowing up, tripping over, building fence rows out moon rocks (thanks to the local paper, library and the loon they supported/ aided and abetted) would have the chance to see and compare to genuine Lunar material. We (the store and I) were going to have a publicized “come see real moon rocks and have your potential meteorites identified” event. He had been asking me to do this for a few years now but I didn’t think it was a particularly safe idea. Now with the loon in jail for the time being, we began to set up a schedule and began making plans. However, the event has now been permanently canceled. The store owner’s wife saw the still huge potential danger in hosting such an event and (wisely in my opinion) has forbade it from happening in their store. I won’t go into the ugly details here (some day I might explain all the “excitement” that has developed because of my involvement in showing Montrose is NOT the “Meteorite Capital of the World”) but she CLEARLY understands that there are far more people that are upset and involved in the issue than just the guy in jail (unfortunately, it seems my actions have also managed to upset the local and state “Sovereign Citizen” movement. These folks are listed by the FBI as the greatest terrorist threat within the US). Basically, the store no longer needs (nor wants) the liability of these rocks on display so now I am making some of them available for sale. Needless to say, I have only one of each of these (and some of these are really hard to come by these days) so contact me quickly if possible if you are interested. On the expensive pieces I am happy to work out time payments or such if needed as well.
DAR al GANI (400), Libya: Lunar (anorthositic breccia). Found 1998. Tkw = 1425 grams.
Boy, this meteorite sure scared the _ell out of me when its discovery was announced. I had wired $87k to Germany to buy a piece of Dar al Gani (262) that was the size of a nickel and had not received it yet when this new lunar was announced. Thankfully (or I would have probably gone bankrupt and left meteorites all together) this huge new lunar did not become available for quite some time (not much of it was offered for sale and it was not cheap when it did finally make its way to collectors). So, me and my chips of Dar al Gani (262) ended up being the first lunar material released widely to collectors. Anyway, this is a long triangular thin slice. There are some light clasts in a medium to dark gray mottled matrix. Not real exciting but this particular material is not commonly available.
.243 gram slice – 20mm x 8mm x .5mm - $400
DHOFAR (461), Oman: Lunar (anorthositic crystalline melt breccia). Found 2001. Tkw = 33.7 grams.
The total known weight listed above is for the particular stone this slice was cut from. Apparently, 13 paired pieces totaling 708 grams were ultimately recovered. To be honest, this sure does not look exciting (but it is a bit different in type/ texture from most Lunar specimens) with only a few really tiny white clasts in dark brown matrix. The edge of this piece is about ½ natural and ½ cut. I got it years ago (at a much higher price) form the Russians that supposedly found it.
.95 gram slice – 28mm x 18mm x .5mm - $1000
NWA (032): Lunar (olivine-pyroxene basalt). Found October 1999. Tkw = about 300 grams.
Hmm, for 300 grams supposedly being found of this I sure haven’t ever seen much of it around over the years. I got this from Alan Lang many years ago (and it was really expensive back then – not that it is really cheap now). Of all the Lunar basalts I have ever seen, this stuff looks the most like a basalt (at least a terrestrial basalt). It has small (mm or so sized) greenish tan crystals in a dark gray, nearly black matrix. This is a super thin slice in a membrane box. A small (around 3mm x 2mm) corner has broken off (good E-Bay micro?). The slice is solid otherwise (though so thin I would advise against handling it).
.206 gram slice – 15mm x 10mm x .5mm - $600
NWA (482): Lunar (impact melt breccia). Found 2000. Tkw = 1015 grams.
Here is small but super nice piece of possibly the most famous Lunar meteorite. This piece may be small but it has absolutely everything you want to see in a piece of this meteorite. Half of the edge has a nice sculpted shape and is covered with fusion crust (the remainder is broken, not cut). The interior shows a fantastic breccia texture. About 1/3rd is a large white clast. The remainder shows lots of small angular white clasts separated by black shock melt veins. A “micro” specimen in size only.
.388 gram slice – 12mm x 11mm x 1mm - $750
NWA (2727): Lunar (mare basalt/ gabbro breccia). Found 2005. Tkw = 191.2 grams.
Here is one that I shared with a few other people. Four stones were recovered (30.6g, 11.6g, 64g, 85g). I got the 30.6 gram piece. This particular slice is a complete slice (well complete slice of the fragments anyway) of my specimen. This is interesting/ odd looking stuff. A bit over half of this slice is a mottled medium gray material (likely the mare basalt portion) with the remainder being neat brecciated mix of green, white and gray material (likely the gabbro).
4.15 gram complete slice – 35mm x 27mm x 2mm - $3500
NWA (2995): Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Found 2005. Tkw = 538 grams.
Here is a slice that makes people say “Wow!”. This slice is exactly what most people think of when they think “moon rock”. This has the classic highly brecciated texture with LOTS of light colored clasts (of all sizes – up to close to a centimeter) in a dark gray matrix. This is a nice, solid complete slice. A real museum piece.
11.5 gram complete slice – 70mm x 45mm x 1mm - $8000
NWA (2977): Lunar (gabbro). Found 2005. Tkw = 233 grams.
This is a slice I picked up years ago as the “gabbro” (basaltic composition but solidified slower below the surface so it developed coarser crystal structure) for my collection. This is a part slice that has crust/ natural exterior around about 2/3rds of the edge. The remaining edge is freshly broken but has a natural appearance to it. The interior is a fine granular light greenish tan color with lots of fine black shock veins running through it.
1.55 gram slice – 23mm x 20mm x 1mm - $1100
Showing posts with label Moon rocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moon rocks. Show all posts
Thursday, 12 May 2016
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Blaine Reed Meteorites for Sale - List 186 - Moon rocks and more
Blaine Reed Meteorites for Sale - List 186 - Moon rocks and more
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………LIST 186
March 1, 2016
Dear collectors,
I realize that I just sent out a list last week. However, that list was actually delayed from when it should have normally gone out; February 16th. No way that could have happened though as I was not even home form the show yet (I didn’t get back until after 9pm on the 18th). It just so happens that the very first day of this month is also the first Tuesday of the month as well my scheduled 1st offering of the month if I am going to have one. So, despite the potential of seeming like I am trying to spam or overload people with new offerings, here is my after Tucson list #2.
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite. Found 1891.
This is a piece of the oxide shale that some believe actually formed as kind of a fusion crust on the incoming main mass of this fall (which some believe was actually more likely an incoming swarm of pieces of various sizes and not just a single railroad box car or so sized piece). The theory here is that the hot surface of the incoming mass(s) interacted with the oxygen in the atmosphere to form this oxide “crust” that then spalled off. On the other hand (gads, now I am sounding like an economist) most believe that this stuff forms by the simple oxidation of a piece of the iron meteorite in the ground. Regardless, this is a nice solid piece that shows some neat deep cracks (that do not affect the solidness of the piece) on one side, kind of resembling a Rizalite Philippinite. This is from an old collection and comes with an old info label that is full of errors compared to what we know these days (like the fall was 20,000 years ago instead of 50,000, the blast was 1.7 megatons instead of closer to 5 or 10 and the “age” is only 540million years old based on cosmic ray exposure).
61.0 gram solid natural fragment – 45mm x 35mm x 18mm - $12
LIBYAN DESERT GLASS:
This is a nice medium grade piece that I got as part of a collection. It has some fogginess to it but yet is still quite clear when held up to a light. This fogginess is from lots of small gas bubbles that appear to be mostly arranged in layers. The color of the piece is very pale yellow on one end grading to the more typical medium yellow on the other end. The exterior is a nice smooth rounded wind and sand sculpted surface with the exception of one small (10mm x 8mm) more recent fracture on one end. Nothing exceptional but likely priced below replacement cost these days (I am told that no more is being recovered. The area is “off limits” and is also supposedly a military bomb range these days).
46.0 gram individual as found – 55mm x 30mm x 27mm - $70
NWA (6950): Lunar meteorite (gabbro). Found June 2011. Tkw = 1649 grams.
Here is a rectangular part slice. It has a natural exterior along one of its longer edges and cut edges for the remaining three. This piece is quite a bit thicker than those I offered (at a higher price per gram) some months ago. This makes this piece a great specimen for those that want to let people touch/ handle the Moon (thin pieces of lunar gabbro tend to be a bit fragile). The best part of this specimen (aside from its really cheap per gram price) is that it has lots of fine black shock veins crisscrossing its surface (few of my pieces showed this).
17.51 gram part slice – 45mm x 31mm x 4mm - $4500
NWA (7611): Lunar meteorite (mingled breccia). Found May 2012. Tkw = 916 grams.
Here is a piece of a lunar meteorite I have not directly had before, at least by NWA number anyway. However it does look identical (and the Meteoritical Bulletin indicates they are likely paired) to the NWA (8277) I offered recently. Regardless, this is a really nice, large complete slice. Like the NWA (8277), this looks much like a typical anorthositic breccia (light and dark angular to rounded clasts in a darker gray matrix) but it is really composed mostly of basalt though it does indeed contain some anorthositic parts, hence the “mingled” (Mare basalt and Anorthositic highlands) breccia. One side of this has been sanded smooth and is a bit lighter in color. The other side shows fine saw marks (and some thickness change – who ever made that particular cut had difficulty with it) but is much darker on the background and is actually more interesting to look at.
13.73 gram complete slice – 57mm x 53mm x 2mm - $5000
NWA (7466): HED achondrite (eucrite, monomict). Purchased May 2012. Tkw = 1216 grams.
This is a nice complete slice that fusion crust (though somewhat wind-polished) around the entire edge. The interior is bright and fresh. There are lots of fine greenish gray and black mineral grains in a snow- white matrix. Research work showed that this meteorite is a breccia of one type rock (hence the “monomict in its classification) which is medium-grained baslaltic material. Nice piece and priced at about half the price that was originally on the plastic display box this thing is in ($239).
7.99 gram complete slice – 38mm x 36mm x 2mm - $120
NWA (8234): Stony-iron (mesosiderite) – C2. Found 2013. Tkw = 905 grams.
I didn’t think much of this one at first as it had a bit of rusting and some fine cracking on it when it was brought to me in Tucson (the thing was in Ohio and seems to have never been coated). After some minor work hand polishing the thing with super fine sand paper and steel wool, it looks like a mesosiderite should (lots of metal including one 8mm diameter nodule and silicates that range from fine-grained to cm plus clasts). I ran it through some alcohol and solar drying (on the dash of a car on one of the above 80 days we had at the show) and spray coated it. This is a complete slice and the smooth, rounded shape of the edge indicates that this probably has not been on the ground long (there appears to even be some fusion crust yet showing). I got a little more excited about the piece when I researched the thing a little further. I don’t fully understand the new additional “subtypes” in the mesosiderites these days (there seem to be A B and C groups with textural types 1 2 and 3). Regardless, this seems to be one of the really rare ones. It seems that a total of only 5 mesosiderites (including this one) have been classified as C2 (and only a total of 12 as group C overall). Probably should be stored in dry conditions (as any metal-rich meteorite should) but a nice and rare piece none the less.
56.3 gram complete slice – 85mm x 67mm x 3mm - $500
NWA (8277): Lunar meteorite (mingled breccia). Found 2013. Tkw = 773 grams.
Here is a nice super thin slightly wedged slice in a neat little display box (black plastic, glass front and its own built in prop stand). Like the NWA (7611) one side of this is polished and the other still shows fine saw marks (you really have to look to see them on this one). Like the above piece, the unpolished side has a darker background and is, frankly, more interesting (so this is the side I have showing at the moment but it can easily be changed). I can’t explain why these two meteorites are this way. Pretty much everything else I work with comes off the saw with its lightest color and usually its clearest textural differences showing in unaided eye view if not under magnification. Sanding usually quickly darkens the stone and the clarity of the texture starts going away (though it does come back, all be it darker, if you can or are willing to take the polish to a high diamond finish). Anyway, this piece does have the classic lighter clasts in a darker matrix moon rock look. This is a .44g slice that comes with a .1g smaller piece that broke off before I got the thing.
.44g+ slice – 18mm x 16mm x 1mm - $180
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………LIST 186
March 1, 2016
Dear collectors,
I realize that I just sent out a list last week. However, that list was actually delayed from when it should have normally gone out; February 16th. No way that could have happened though as I was not even home form the show yet (I didn’t get back until after 9pm on the 18th). It just so happens that the very first day of this month is also the first Tuesday of the month as well my scheduled 1st offering of the month if I am going to have one. So, despite the potential of seeming like I am trying to spam or overload people with new offerings, here is my after Tucson list #2.
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite. Found 1891.
This is a piece of the oxide shale that some believe actually formed as kind of a fusion crust on the incoming main mass of this fall (which some believe was actually more likely an incoming swarm of pieces of various sizes and not just a single railroad box car or so sized piece). The theory here is that the hot surface of the incoming mass(s) interacted with the oxygen in the atmosphere to form this oxide “crust” that then spalled off. On the other hand (gads, now I am sounding like an economist) most believe that this stuff forms by the simple oxidation of a piece of the iron meteorite in the ground. Regardless, this is a nice solid piece that shows some neat deep cracks (that do not affect the solidness of the piece) on one side, kind of resembling a Rizalite Philippinite. This is from an old collection and comes with an old info label that is full of errors compared to what we know these days (like the fall was 20,000 years ago instead of 50,000, the blast was 1.7 megatons instead of closer to 5 or 10 and the “age” is only 540million years old based on cosmic ray exposure).
61.0 gram solid natural fragment – 45mm x 35mm x 18mm - $12
LIBYAN DESERT GLASS:
This is a nice medium grade piece that I got as part of a collection. It has some fogginess to it but yet is still quite clear when held up to a light. This fogginess is from lots of small gas bubbles that appear to be mostly arranged in layers. The color of the piece is very pale yellow on one end grading to the more typical medium yellow on the other end. The exterior is a nice smooth rounded wind and sand sculpted surface with the exception of one small (10mm x 8mm) more recent fracture on one end. Nothing exceptional but likely priced below replacement cost these days (I am told that no more is being recovered. The area is “off limits” and is also supposedly a military bomb range these days).
46.0 gram individual as found – 55mm x 30mm x 27mm - $70
NWA (6950): Lunar meteorite (gabbro). Found June 2011. Tkw = 1649 grams.
Here is a rectangular part slice. It has a natural exterior along one of its longer edges and cut edges for the remaining three. This piece is quite a bit thicker than those I offered (at a higher price per gram) some months ago. This makes this piece a great specimen for those that want to let people touch/ handle the Moon (thin pieces of lunar gabbro tend to be a bit fragile). The best part of this specimen (aside from its really cheap per gram price) is that it has lots of fine black shock veins crisscrossing its surface (few of my pieces showed this).
17.51 gram part slice – 45mm x 31mm x 4mm - $4500
NWA (7611): Lunar meteorite (mingled breccia). Found May 2012. Tkw = 916 grams.
Here is a piece of a lunar meteorite I have not directly had before, at least by NWA number anyway. However it does look identical (and the Meteoritical Bulletin indicates they are likely paired) to the NWA (8277) I offered recently. Regardless, this is a really nice, large complete slice. Like the NWA (8277), this looks much like a typical anorthositic breccia (light and dark angular to rounded clasts in a darker gray matrix) but it is really composed mostly of basalt though it does indeed contain some anorthositic parts, hence the “mingled” (Mare basalt and Anorthositic highlands) breccia. One side of this has been sanded smooth and is a bit lighter in color. The other side shows fine saw marks (and some thickness change – who ever made that particular cut had difficulty with it) but is much darker on the background and is actually more interesting to look at.
13.73 gram complete slice – 57mm x 53mm x 2mm - $5000
NWA (7466): HED achondrite (eucrite, monomict). Purchased May 2012. Tkw = 1216 grams.
This is a nice complete slice that fusion crust (though somewhat wind-polished) around the entire edge. The interior is bright and fresh. There are lots of fine greenish gray and black mineral grains in a snow- white matrix. Research work showed that this meteorite is a breccia of one type rock (hence the “monomict in its classification) which is medium-grained baslaltic material. Nice piece and priced at about half the price that was originally on the plastic display box this thing is in ($239).
7.99 gram complete slice – 38mm x 36mm x 2mm - $120
NWA (8234): Stony-iron (mesosiderite) – C2. Found 2013. Tkw = 905 grams.
I didn’t think much of this one at first as it had a bit of rusting and some fine cracking on it when it was brought to me in Tucson (the thing was in Ohio and seems to have never been coated). After some minor work hand polishing the thing with super fine sand paper and steel wool, it looks like a mesosiderite should (lots of metal including one 8mm diameter nodule and silicates that range from fine-grained to cm plus clasts). I ran it through some alcohol and solar drying (on the dash of a car on one of the above 80 days we had at the show) and spray coated it. This is a complete slice and the smooth, rounded shape of the edge indicates that this probably has not been on the ground long (there appears to even be some fusion crust yet showing). I got a little more excited about the piece when I researched the thing a little further. I don’t fully understand the new additional “subtypes” in the mesosiderites these days (there seem to be A B and C groups with textural types 1 2 and 3). Regardless, this seems to be one of the really rare ones. It seems that a total of only 5 mesosiderites (including this one) have been classified as C2 (and only a total of 12 as group C overall). Probably should be stored in dry conditions (as any metal-rich meteorite should) but a nice and rare piece none the less.
56.3 gram complete slice – 85mm x 67mm x 3mm - $500
NWA (8277): Lunar meteorite (mingled breccia). Found 2013. Tkw = 773 grams.
Here is a nice super thin slightly wedged slice in a neat little display box (black plastic, glass front and its own built in prop stand). Like the NWA (7611) one side of this is polished and the other still shows fine saw marks (you really have to look to see them on this one). Like the above piece, the unpolished side has a darker background and is, frankly, more interesting (so this is the side I have showing at the moment but it can easily be changed). I can’t explain why these two meteorites are this way. Pretty much everything else I work with comes off the saw with its lightest color and usually its clearest textural differences showing in unaided eye view if not under magnification. Sanding usually quickly darkens the stone and the clarity of the texture starts going away (though it does come back, all be it darker, if you can or are willing to take the polish to a high diamond finish). Anyway, this piece does have the classic lighter clasts in a darker matrix moon rock look. This is a .44g slice that comes with a .1g smaller piece that broke off before I got the thing.
.44g+ slice – 18mm x 16mm x 1mm - $180
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