Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………..LIST
152
Dear Collectors,
Here is
the e-mail version of my “spring, after Tucson
” mailed list (just now reaching . Most of this is stuff I’ve had but finally
got through research (some, like the LL3.10 below took several tries to finally
get done). The hexahedrite (NWA 8302) and Fukang I picked up in Tucson
and was thrilled to get them. I am keeping a full slice of the hexahedrite in
my collection as it will be the first iron I have that shows a heat alteration
rim. I am hanging on to a piece of many of the other things as well, as several
of these are things I’ll probably never get as nice an example of (or any)
again (L-melt, LL3.10, Eucrite breccia…..)
I should probably note (and should have on the mailed
version as well) that many of you, as I, have not received your tax refund. If
this is your case and you are interested in things offered here, I’ll be happy
to set things aside for you until the IRS sends your refund. So, don’t hesitate
to ask me to set things aside. This is actually the case with ANY of my offerings
any time of the year. I just ask that, if things change, to let me know if you
have changed your mind so I can move the item on to the next interested party.
NWA (8302):
Morocco . Iron.
Hexahedrite (IIAB). Found before 2010.
Tkw = 22.4 kilograms(?).
I put a question on the TKW as the official report is the
22,4kg and the small card I got when I bought the stuff said it was
15.25kilograms total. Either way, this is a nice, interesting meteorite. It
shows a good number of Nuemann lines as a hexahedrite should, as well as lots
of small sulfide inclusions. However, this also shows a very distinct
re-crystallized heat-alteration rim along the outer edge. I have seen pictures
of this in iron meteorites but I don’t recall ever having had an iron before
that shows this feature. I picked the full slices as they have the clearest
heat rim. The cut pieces all also show natural edge with an alteration zone.
1) Slices: etched one side:
a) 26.5 grams - 36mm x 22mm x 4mm -
$65
b) 46.8 grams - 46mm x 35mm x 4mm -
sold
c) 135.7 grams - 97mm x 42mm x 4mm
- sold
d) 238.7 grams – 170mm x 50mm x 4mm
- sold
e) 275.9 grams - 180mm x 70mm x 4mm
- $600 – complete slice, really strong heat rim.
Note: I may end up cutting up the
complete slice if it does not sell as is. Let me know what size smaller piece
you might like and I’ll try to end up with something close to that size if I do
cut this.
NWA (7019):
Ordinary chondrite. L-Melt rock. Found before February 2011. Tkw = 1315.8
grams.
I got three fragments (two of which fit together) from a
dealer in Tucson . It had a weird
green color and an odd texture that showed some fairly large vesicles. This
made both the seller and I suspect that this was an impact melt. The interior
upon cutting supported this hypothesis and later research work confirmed it.
The interior shows no chondrules, vesicles and rounded metal/ sulfide
inclusions in a fine-grained green matrix. This highly shocked meteorite likely
formed by a nearby impact that was large enough to completely melt this
material before it escaped its parent body.
1) Slices:
a) 4.0 grams - 18mm x 15mm x 4mm -
$24
b) 7.5 grams - 25mm x 24mm x 4mm -
$45
c) 14.4 grams - 45mm x 25mm x 4mm
- $85
d) 27.7 grams - 70mm x 40mm x 4mm
- $160 – complete slice.
e) 42.4 grams - 75mm x 50mm x 4mm
- $240 – complete slice.
2) End
pieces:
a) 34.9 grams - 50mm x 38mm x 14mm
- sold
b) 48.8 grams - 45mm x 38mm x 17mm
- $245
c) 69.5 grams - 60mm x 37mm x 20mm
- $345 – Main mass.
NWA (7029):
Ordinary chondrite (LL3.10). Found before September 2009. Tkw = 205.6 grams.
When I heard the news that this was a 3.10 I didn’t get too
excited. BUT when I looked up just how rare such a thing is I began wishing it
didn’t, more or less, take three tries to finally get this thing classified
(giving up around 25 grams on each try). Currently there are only four LL3.10
meteorites known (including this one) and only another 6 classified at lower
metamorphic grades (including Antarctic recoveries). If you include all the Hs
and Ls (the rest of the “ordinary chondrites”) then you have another 16
meteorites known with this low or lower of a metamorphic level. Needles to say,
these silces show LOTS of chondrules. Also needles to say, I have very little
of this special material. I have under 100 grams TOTAL remaining.
1) Slices:
a) 1.0 grams - 13mm x 12mm x 2mm -
$50
b) 2.0 grams - 26mm x 12mm x 2mm -
$100
c) 4.0 grams - 26mm x 20mm x 2mm -
$200
d) 7.8 grams - 36mm x 25mm x 3mm -
$400 – complete slice, lots of interesting inclusions.
NWA (7902):
Ordinary chondrite (L3.7), W2. Found before February 2013. Tkw = 2.02
kilograms.
This is one I bought in Tucson
last year. The seller, rightfully it turns out, thought this was a type 3 as it
shows quite a lot of chondrules on the exterior surfaces. I wasn’t so sure, or
at least wasn’t willing to pay the big premium that was being asked on this
“type 3” (something like $3/g I think – pretty typical asking price these days
for a raw “out of the field” type 3). We eventually came to an agreement we
both could live with and one where I can offer this now proven type 3 for
substantially less than its starting price from the seller. The interior does
not show much metal (pretty much just sulfides) but is nice in texture. There
are lots of chondrules of many sizes clearly visible on this roughly 55mm x 35mm
cut face. The rest of the stone is
natural wind-polished crust and some fracture (secondary
crust?). Nice as it is or great for cutting into slices (which I will likely do
if this does not sell intact).
1954.0
gram main mass – 170mm x 95mm x 70mm - $4000
NWA (7252):
Carbonaceous chondrite (CK5). Found before Feb. 2007. Tkw = 276.1 grams.
This is a piece that I sold after I had sent pieces off for
the classification work. After several years it became clear that this was not
going to get done so the buyer sold it back to me. More material sent off and
the work got done this time. This was originally an individual that was
completely crusted but had about 30% secondary crust (so there is likely at
least one more related piece out there somewhere). I went ahead and cut the
thing up. Slices of this, like most CKs, do not show a lot of chondrules (CKs
average only around 15% chondrules in volume) but has an interesting greenish
gray matrix.
1) Slices:
a) 1.2 grams - 15mm x 9mm x 3mm -
$18
b) 2.7 grams - 22mm x 13mm x 3mm -
$40
c) 4.5 grams - 22mm x 20mm x 3mm -
$67
d) 9.4 grams - 38mm x 27mm x 3mm -
$140
e) 21.5 grams - 47mm x 43mm x 4mm
- $300 – complete slice.
NWA (8162):
Achondrite. (Eucrite, monomict breccia. Found before September 2013. Tkw =
297.4 grams.
This is one I wish I could have gotten more of. This showed
some brecciation on its natural surface. The inside after cutting makes one say
“wow”. This shows LOTS of lighter colored clasts of all sizes surrounded by
dark highly shocked material. The material in the clasts and the surrounding
matrix all have the same composition, making this a “monomict” breccia. This
texture is likely due to impacts nearby on the surface of Vesta (yep, the Dawn
mission data is finally getting out and it confirms that Vesta is the source
for most of the meteorites classiied as HEDs in our collections!). I had this
professionally cut (I hair too big for my saw) and highly polished on one side
to really bring out the best in this stone.
1) Slices:
a) .6 grams - 12mm x 10mm x 2mm -
sold
b) 1.3 grams - 19mm x 11mm x 2mm -
$32
c) 2.4 grams - 23mm x 17mm x 2mm -
$60
d) 5.1 grams - 29mm x 27mm x 2mm -
$120
e) 9.9 grams - 40mm x 40mm x 2mm -
$225 – complete slice.
f) 23.5 grams - 70mm x 58mm x 2mm
- $500 – complete slice.
FUKANG, China :
(Pallasite). Found 2000. TKW = 1003 kilograms.
This is one that I offered (as a larger slice) on a recent
e-mail offering. I picked this up as part of a collection I purchased from a
German fossil dealer as a 100 gram square slice. It had never been coated so
there were a couple small rust spots on it. In my attempt to put a new shine on
this (using my antiquated polishing equipment) I managed to break it into
several pieces – the ones listed here. All of these are still large enough to
show the texture of this beautiful meteorite with its huge olivine crystals.
1) Slices:
a) 18.9 grams - 60mm x 30mm x 2mm
- $280
b) 26.4 grams - 60mm x 43mm x 2mm
- sold
c) 53.7 grams - 89mm x 50mm x 2mm
- sold
ACASTA GNEISS:
Ancient rock from Acasta River , Canada
Here is something I picked up a piece of a few years ago
and, when I mentioned it, I found there was a big demand for the stuff (my
piece got whittled down quite a bit in supplying pieces to people). I finally
got some more this past Tucson .
These are small 15mmx 20mm or so) pieces mounted in a labeled perky box. This
material is, at this point, the oldest known rock in the world. At 4.2 Billion
years old this is not quite as old as most meteorites but formed surprisingly
early in Earth’s history.
Small
(15mm plus) fragment in perky box – sold out. Will try to get more.
Please note:
The post office keeps increasing shipping
rates (despite the government’s official claim is that there is no
inflation). For small US
orders $3 should still be fine for now. Larger orders are now $12 (insurance is
extra if desired – I’ll look it up if you want it). The real increases came in
overseas (or even Canada )
shipping. These prices pretty much doubled from what they were a couple years
ago. Now small overseas orders are around $9 (I’ll have to custom quote any
larger items/ orders). Thankfully, it seems that the rate for registration
(recommended on more valuable overseas orders) is still around $12.
My fax
machine has pretty much blown up on me. I can nurse it to work if I must (but
often loose the incoming fax if I am not really careful). For overseas orders,
it probably is best to go ahead and use my brmeteorites@yahoo.com e-mail. I
generally get/ deal with phone calls quicker but I will try to keep up on
checking e-mail this time.
