Blaine Reed Meteorites -LIST 260 21MAR2023

Blaine Reed Meteorites
P.O. Box 1141, Delta, CO 81416
Phone: (970) 874-1487
brmeteorites@yahoo.com

LIST 260 - March 21, 2023


Dear Collectors

Here is yet another “After Tucson” list. I will probably need a couple more of these to clear out the things that came to me in Tucson (or were shipped to me right before).

A note that will not mean a lot to most of you: I have had a fax machine since close to when they first came available. It was really handy for those overseas, don’t speak the language orders (this was well before e-mail). I (and the other folks) found it easier to write things like a letter but have it on the other end as fast as a phone call. Others preferred to send credit card info this way. In fact, I have had this done as recently as my last mailed offering! However, I had someone try to send a fax to me a week or so ago and my fax seems to have completely come apart internally (some important old plastic gear or such obviously broke). I tried to receive the incoming fax but could not. The top of the machine just kept jumping up (trying to open the cover on its own) while making terrible snapping and popping sounds. I looked into it and, nope, this is something I can’t fix. So, at this point I have to let those few of you that liked contacting me this way, I cannot be reached that way right now. I will likely look into seeing if I can find an old thermal paper fax I can use (my tearing into this – a plain paper fax – showed me a HUGE security risk inside that I had not considered before), but that may take time. In the meantime, I will be completely destroying the carbon paper inside of this old one (burning it I suppose) and will NOT be able to receive fax messages until further notice, unfortunately.
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CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite. Found 1891.
I have had a really hard time getting ANY Canyon Diablos lately. My main supplier told me in December of 2021 that he would NOT be selling me anymore of his. And, so far, he has lived up to his words. I have not gotten a single gram from him. This isn’t him trying to be mean or anything, it is just things have changed (for the better) for him. His main business is doing a lot of the small retail weekend shows all over the place. In 2020 and most of 2021 those were not happening. He had no place to sell his stuff (the bulk of which is various raw lapidary rocks/ dino bone, hand- made cabochons and jewelry (quite well done). For a couple years he simply NEEDED someone like me to buy in bulk to survive. Now that his large list of shows are back (I’ll be seeing him in Creede early August) he can sell all the Canyon Diablo he wants/ needs to at full retail now. Anyway, I was offered these end pieces from a “secondary” source. He had just got done cutting and etching what was a pretty ugly (rounded lump) of a Canyon Diablo the he had gotten some years earlier from the guy I used to get mine from. Well, this thing etched up beautifully! It has one of the best etches I have seen from Canyon Diablo (not sure if the photo will really show this though). Oddly, the fact that this was just a rounded, not pretty piece is part of the reason it did etch. You see, the Canyon Diablos that have retained their nice sculpted character (aside from usually being too pretty to cut up) have often gotten “heat treated” during the impact. They were “close to the fire” of the crater forming event. This hardened them so they are far more likely to retain a neat shape but also far, far more likely to NOT show much of an etch pattern, if any (and it was such a piece that I tried to use for a geochemistry glass talk once. After nearly blowing up the geology department’s saw (the guy overseeing its use could not/ would not believe me when I said it absolutely CANNOT be run using the saw’s powered screw feed) the end pieces then embarrassed me in front of the whole class when neither of them would etch (I did not have time to try it before the actual lecture day and would not have had time to try cutting open another piece, IF that would have been allowed, anyway). So, these two separate pieces are actually just halves of the same meteorite that was properly cut and etched. I have also priced these below what I have to ask for Canyon Diablo in general these days. Really nice paperweights!
a) 774.9gram etched end piece – 95mm x 65mm x 30mm - $900
b) 1114.9 gram etched end piece – 100mm x 80mm x 30mm - $1300
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JIKHARRA (001), Libya: HED achondrite (Eucrite, melt breccia). Found 2022. Tkw = 3 tons.
Yep, the total known weight is in the tons. Estimated at about 3 when this was reported but I have heard it might really be closer to 4 or even 5!! THAT is a LOT OF VESTA! However this huge discovery has now made it possible to own an achondrite (plus one that actually has a known body of origin!) for the price of most average common chondrites! I myself picked up a nice bowling ball sized piece of this for my collection. I have these two nice, clearly natural individuals and a couple ugly longish fragment pieces that I plan to run through the saw sometime before too long and offer slices of. Really crappy weather so far this entire year (I put a new solar hot air panel on my house the day before Christmas and we’ve had pretty much an endless string of clouds, wind, rain, snow since). So, no slices for a while, but I can offer these nice individuals (I’ll probably just buy more if these sell. I am a fan of Vesta stuff – particularly at these kinds of prices).
a) 792.3 gram individual – 90mm x 80mm x 50mm - $590
b) 2327.4 gram individual – 130mm x 110mm x 80mm - $1600
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NWA (11615): Ordinary chondrite (LL3). Found 2017. Tkw = 3114 grams.
A single stone was found and purchased in Temara, Morocco by a meteorite dealer in August of 2017. This is a nice meteorite, showing LOTS of closely packed, well-formed chondrules. This is quite fresh. There are very few blebs of fresh metal in this (and most of them are very small. This shows almost no attraction to a magnet. I suspect that someone might have thought that they had found an achondrite (the chondrules don’t really seem to show on the natural edge) when they found this one. Still, an unequlibrated (type 3) stone isn’t bad! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any info on approximate “subtype” (3.3, 3.6, 3.7….). There was a note of the chrome content of the olivines (apparently, it is possible to get a sub-type from that info) but I have no clue how to interpret that right now, unfortunately.
99.4 gram complete slice – 95mm x 85mm x 4mm - $300

NWA (14016): HED achondrite (Eucrite, melt breccia). Found 2020. Tkw = 29.4kg.
Nope, this IS a eucrite melt breccia like the Jikharra above but it is a completely different animal. I have seen cut pieces of the Jikharra and, to be honest, it is kind of a mushy mess inside (it is almost all melted). This does not have a whole lot of melt in it, just dark veins and zones between the angular still eucritic looking (for the most part) clasts. This has much more the look of a Lunar anorthositic breccia. In fact, some people that saw pieces of this I had in Tucson thought that it was. Nope, just a nice complete slice of a lunar looking eucrite and the second cheapest eucrite that I am aware of (the Jikharra above is number one in that respect).
259.8 gram complete slice – 180mm x 125mm x 5mm - $850
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PHILIPPINITE: Tektite from the Philippines.
This is, at the moment, my largest tektite of any sort (I know, I recently had a customer wanting to know what are the largest tektites I have. My next largest is a somewhat chipped 100g Chinese tektite spherical piece). I got this along with some nice NWA chondrite pieces as part of a “collection”. This is at least 3 times larger than any of my other Philippinites. This also has a lot better grooving to it. This does not have a lot of the classic big deep grooves all over it (those kinds are like $3/g now) but it has some. A nice, natural, unchipped grooved individual.
167.9 gram natural individual – 65mm x 45mm x 30mm - $165

SPRINGWATER, Canada: Stony-iron (Pallasite). Found 1931.
Well, actually this piece was found in the fall of 2008. This is one of the samples that turned up when a group of US meteorite hunters researched the area, put in a little (a lot?) effort and hit pay dirt. I don’t recall how much they ended up finding. It was a substantial amount. However, almost all of it stayed in Canada. You can’t just find a take home a Canadian meteorite. You have to get export papers for it and you can only get that once everyone in Canada (museums, research institutes, etc) has what they want of it first. In this case, there was some left over to be exported, but not a lot. I believe that this is the LAST piece the person I got this from (one of the partners in the re-discovery of the strewn filed has (the last he is willing to sell now anyway). This is a really nice, solid piece (that looks like it might even show some fusion crust remnants).
296.4 gram natural individual – 70mm x 45mm x 40mm - $5500

TIRHERT, Morocco: HED achondrite (Eucrite). Fell July 9, 2014. Tkw = about 8kg.
This isn’t cheap but it sure has the “Wow!” factor. This is clearly an early after the fall recovery piece. It has the best, shiny fusion crust I have seen on a eucrite in many, many years. I think the Early Camel Dongas might have given this a run for its money but those started looking pretty ratty in a matter of months after the strewn field was discovered (Camel Donga is not recorded as a fall but it must have fallen VERY soon before it was discovered as the pieces did weather quite quickly). This does have a number of small corner and edge chips, but, in a way, those make this more interesting as they show a wonderfully contrasting almost white unbrecciated eucrite interior.
121.9 gram beautifully crusted individual – 50mm x 35mm x 35mm - $9800

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Shipping: Shipping rates, right now, have gone up yet again. They seem to have added a "holiday time surcharge". Now it seems that the cheapest I can send a small padded envelope order for is close to $6 at the moment. Regardless, I'll keep the shipping on these (they are small and light weight) at a simple $5 for now for US shipping.

Small overseas orders are around $16 (Canada seems to be right around $15).

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 183 - Pena Blanca and more

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 183 - Pena Blanca and more

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

…………………………………………………..LIST 183
December 29, 2015

Dear collectors,
Here is a short offering for the end of the year.

BRENHAM, Kansas: (Pallasite). Found October 30, 2005.
I know, the real reported find date for this meteorite is 1882 but this particular piece is an etched slice that was cut from a 69kg all iron individual that was found on the date listed above. The info card with it (which is one I made – this piece was sold be me at some point in the past and now came back as part of a small collection lot) says that this was found on the Allen and Mary Binford farm and gives the precise GPS coordinates for the find spot (so, one could probably visit the hole that this was pulled out of if one was so inclined). This is a typical part slice that is roughly square in shape. It has three cut edges and one natural edge.
74.1 gram etched part slice – 50mm x 50mm x 4mm - $130

PENA BLANCA SPRING, Texas: Enstatite achondrite (Aubrite). Fell August 2, 1946. Tkw = 70.4kg.
This is the famous meteorite that managed to land directly in a small natural pond. The fall was witnessed to some degree by a couple dozen people. A cook at a near by ranch house saw the stone break branches of a tree it passed through and then its impact into the pond. A couple ranch hands driving by the pond in a truck heard a load explosion and then had their truck splashed with water and plant debris. Later work to lower the level of the water in the pond allowed the recovery of several large fragments of this interesting and rare meteorite. These pieces are nice small to medium part slices that all show at least some of the fantastic breccia texture displayed by this meteorite (I personally like the 5.3g piece best myself as it shows a neat slightly darker 20mm x 12mm clast), but they are all nice. I have always loved the look (and rarity) of this stuff. It has been quite a long while since I have had pieces of this beautiful material.
1) Part slices:
a) .79 grams – 14mm x 8mm x 4mm - $65
b) 1.25 grams – 17mm x 8mm x 4mm - $100
c) 2.47 grams – 21mm x 19mm x 3mm - $190
d) 5.30 grams – 26mm x 26mm x 3mm - $400
e) 15.36 grams – 50mm x 33mm x 3.5mm - $1100

SACRAMENTO WASH (005), Arizona. Iron (ungrouped, troilite rich). Found 2004.
I have heard of and seen some pieces of this over the years but I have never had any pieces to sell. This is reported in the bulletin as a separate meteorite but I don’t know if it has ever been fully sorted out if these are really just chunks of iron that separated out from pieces of the Frankonia stone meteorite. This metal is chemically H-type metal (which is the type meteorite Frankonia is which did indeed have some fairly large metal pieces in it). However, attached h-type silicates have not been found attached to these iron pieces and some clearly showed fusion crust (and most pieces have an atmospherically sculpted shape). Regardless, this material is reported as a new/ separate meteorite and very little/ few pieces have been available.
a) .41 gram individual – 15mm x 7mm x 1mm - $20
b) 1.07 gram individual – 9mm x 8mm x 5mm - $40 – this one is in a membrane box and comes with a L. Atkins collection label.

SPRINGWATER, Canada: (Pallasite). Found 1931.
Here is a fantastic, beautiful thin complete slice. This is cut thin enough that many of the crystals pass light (not so easy to get in this meteorite due to its generally smaller olivine crystal size). This piece has NOT been through the “special rust treatment” I mentioned on the small pieces listed earlier. This is partly because to do so would risk having the thing break apart in the process but mostly because this piece has shown itself over the past 3.5 years or so to be stable on its own already. It was stored/ displayed with out any special care in a fairly humid environment (West Virginia) and has held up beautifully. Another really neat feature of this large slice is that its Ferringtonite inclusions, a VERY rare magnesium Phosphate mineral that seems to be only known from meteorites. One is bright, obvious and is about 10mm x 30mm. There are several others that are darker near the edges of the slice. A few other pallasites are noted for having some of this mineral discovered in them but Springwater has by far the best and is the “type locality” for the stuff. I know a few mineral collectors who would probably like me to break this thing apart so they can add a piece of this odd mineral to their collections. I have pictures of this piece in the computer ready to send to those interested.
a) 306.4 gram complete slice – 280mm x 150mm x 2mm - $5500 – has several Ferrigtonite inclusions.

TOLUCA, Mexico: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1776.
This is a bag of fragments of both oxide and metal (more metal than oxide I think). Some of the larger pieces (thumb-nail sized plus) are metal and have a polished and etched face.
14.5 grams of metal and oxide fragments - $7

Blaine Reed Meteorites for Sale- List 182 - Springwater and more

Blaine Reed Meteorites for Sale- List 182 - Springwater and more

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

…………………………………………………..LIST 182
December 8, 2015

Dear collectors,

Here is another quickly put together offering. I had hoped to have my inventory work done (that wonderful fun week long job of opening every box, bin and container, weighing and recording everything in it) by now so I could offer up a “want to get rid of the last piece or two before year end” sale/ offering. Unfortunately I have been far to busy with projects to even get started yet (hence this offering of “new” stuff now). I am trying to finish up installing a second solar electric panel array (one using some of the many panels I picked up a few years ago during the Solyndra bankruptcy sale). It is taking longer than I expected (lots of small details that need to be dealt with) and I MUST have it done before the end of the month (plus I have some travel that also must be done before the end of the month). Anyway, I do hope to have a year end “remove it from inventory sale” later but I am not certain I can pull it together. Anyway, enjoy this small offering in the meantime.

ALBIN, Wyoming: (Pallasite). Found 1915. Tkw = 40+ kilograms.
This is a thin slice that has a large 15mm x 10mm clear olivine crystal. The remainder is mostly metal but it does contain a good number of small (2 or 3mm) olivine crystals (also quite clear).
1.6 gram slice – 18mm x 14mm x 2mm - SOLD

HOLBROOK, Arizona; (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
Here are two pieces: one an end piece (kind of unusual for this meteorite) that is likely a more recent recovery and a really fresh individual. The end piece has a fair amount of brown showing in the interior. The crust is still black but does show some brown spotting. The individual looks certainly to be an early after the fall recovery. The crust (around 90% coverage) is fresh and black. The interior is bright white.
a) 1.22 gram end piece – 13mm x 9mm 4mm - $30
b) 2.4 gram fresh individual – 12mm x 12mm x 10mm - $60

NWA (2822): Rumurutiite. (R4), polymict breccia. Found 2005. Tkw = 1675 grams.
This is a nice part slice that looks like a complete slice (one edge is broken but has a natural look to it). It has a nice light to medium brown/ orange color to it. This particular piece also clearly shows the “polymict” (having piece of different type material) part of its classification> there are quite a few odd clasts scattered throughout the piece (in addition to lots of chondrules). However, there are two large clasts that are definitely different. One about 5mm x 10mm is a light colored clasts along one edge that shows no chindrules of any kind. The other (about 10mm x 10mm) is really dark. This one even has a clast within a clast – the center is a 4mm x 3mm black (carbonaceous?) clast. The remainder/ surrounding material is very dark, shows chondrules but is much higher in troilite (these rare meteorites don not show fresh iron) than the matrix.
17.3 gram slice – 60mm x 43mm x 2.5mm - $250

NWA (8302): Iron. Hexagedrite (IIAB). Found before 2010. Tkw = 22.4 kilograms.
I offered pieces of this on a list back in May of 2014. They all rapidly sold. I had forgotten that I had several specimens of different meteorites from that mailed offering set aside for a customer who never came back for them. Of those, it turned out that this is the only one that I had absolutely no other pieces of. The others just went back into the bags that contained the other pieces still in inventory. So, rather than re-make an inventory bag (the type you’d find in my miscellaneous bucket at shows) I’d just rather offer this here. It is a nice part slice that has one natural edge (one of the long sides) with the rest cut. It has been has been etched and does show some Nuemann lines, though they are faint (not atypical in this type meteorite).
17.0 gram etched part slice – 28mm x 21mm x 4mm - $40

SPRINGWATER, Canada: (Pallasite). Found 1931.
Well, these pieces were really found around 2008 or so when a few well known meteorite guys went into the area and spent a bunch of time re-locating the strewn field. These are from a larger thicker slice that was broken up to make nice natural looking slices (these do indeed look like complete slices) for collectors. I asked for such as I had long since sold out of small pieces of this meteorite I had earlier. I should also say that these particular pieces have been run through a special stabilization process developed and run quite successfully (even on pieces of Admire!!!) by KD meteorites so they should hold up long term.
Slices:
a) 5.8 grams – 22mm x 20mm x 4mm - $105
b) 9.3 grams – 28mm x 20mm x 4mm - $167
c) 13.6 grams – 30mm x 25mm x 4mm - $245
d) 29.6 grams – 55mm x 35mm x 4mm - $500
e) 69.0 grams – 83mm x 40mm x 5mm - $1100

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 161

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 161

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

brmeteorites@yahoo.com e-mail.
…………………………………………………………….LIST 161
October 7, 2014

Dear Collectors,

Sorry this is getting out a little later than I had planned. I got tied up with a few things today.

Here is the e-mail version of my mailed “after Denver”/ fall list. Many if you (those that are current customers anyway) have or will be receiving this in the mail (likely today, if I timed my mailing properly). I think I may have said this in the past but many of you have said “remove me from the physical mailing list and send e-mail only”. I do indeed do that for some, mostly a few overseas customers and people that are buyers of very specific things (like I have customers who buy ONLY etched iron slices for making guitar picks or “New Age” shops that buy only Moldavite and Libyan glass). I don’t mind sending out paper lists to the bulk of you though. They really are not that expensive and it saves me the trouble of trying to figure out who is on the mailing list and who is not when I go through my customer files. However, the biggest reason is simply ugly old-fashioned marketing. When I send out an e-mail offering, I get orders in a matter of minutes but then after a couple hours – NOTHING. I may have 90% of the items left, but the sales are gone, finished , over (I do get an order the next day on rare occasions, but they are very rare occasions). E-mal is so very ephemeral. They only “last” mere minutes to hours. If they are not noticed/ acted upon in mere minutes, they simply disappear by getting buried under new, now more important, e-mails needing attention. A paper list, however has SOME lasting power. Until the receiver makes the active motion of tossing it out, it still has the chance to “sell something”. And this does seem to happen. Granted, the bulk of my orders from a mailed list are in the first week or two, but I have had orders come in weeks (and sometimes even months) later from a mailed list (and usually I can satisfy the request. Though there are some items, like the Acosta Gneiss last time that sell out and the NWA 8457 here is likely to be an issue later). Anyway, if you absolutely hate “junk mail” I can remove you from the mailing list. But, don’t feel bad that I spent a little sending a list to you otherwise. Who knows, it might be you that notices something a couple weeks later that didn’t register on the first look over contacting me for an item.

Enjoy!

HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
I used to have quite a lot of this famous meteorite. I had only a small not even handful of small pieces I’d set out at small shows as it is the only completely natural iron meteorite I have and it has a pleasing look. I just got a few “larger” pieces in as part of a collection. I decided to offer up all sizes I have here. This material has gotten hard to come by and the few pieces I have seen coming out of Australia these days are priced at (or above) $2/g. I have only one each of the two largest pieces, unfortunately.
1)Natural individuals as found:
a) 5.4 grams - 12mm x 12mm x 6mm - $10
b) 11.4 grams - 22mm x 11mm x 10mm - $20
c) 19.0 grams - 26mm x 18mm x 11mm - $32
d) 39.4 grams - 28mm x 28mm x 11mm - $63-SOLD
e) 71.5 grams - 45mm x 28mm x 12mm - sold-SOLD

NWA 6434: Ordinary chondrite. (H6) anomalous, S3,W3. Found before Feb 2009. Tkw = 423 grams.
This is another item that took some time (and a couple tries) to finally get classified. I was told it was an “H7” when I bought it (and paid quite high to get it). Unfortunately, thin-section work showed some indistinct chondrules remaining, making this an H6. However, this research work also showed that the pyroxene iron content (Fs #) was outside of and below the H-chondrite range. The Meteoritical Society Nomenclature Committee decided to label this meteorite as an “H6-anomalous” because of this strange and interesting feature. I believe that, at this point, this is the ONLY meteorite labeled as such. This is not much to look at visually though. It shows very little metal and a few faint chondrules in a medium to dark chocolate brown matrix.
1) Slices:
a) 1.0 grams - 13mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $15
b) 2.3 grams - 25mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $34
c) 4.2 grams - 23mm x 20mm x 3mm - $60
d) 8.0 grams - 35mm x 20mm x 3.5mm - $110
2) End pieces/ cut fragments:
a) 7.2 grams - 25mm x 15mm x 12mm - $85
b) 11.0 grams - 23mm x 18mm x 17mm - $130
c) 18.4 grams - 30mm x 30mm x 8mm - $200-SOLD

NWA 8193: Ordinary chondrite. (LL6), S3, W2. Found before February 2010. Tkw = 1.16kilograms.
This is one Matt picked up and I later got. He called it an LL even though I thought it was more likely just an L (it looks quite similar to NWA (869) in texture but does have less metal/ magnetic attraction). Obviously, Matt got this one right. This is brecciated and does show various recrystallized chondriotic clasts, lithic fragments and glassy fragments in a mottled gray, tan and brown matrix. I have surprisingly few pieces of even the sizes listed here as much of this stuff broke up on cutting (Matt got that fun job). Not sure why that happened, cracking from freeze-thaw action in some areas of the stone is my guess.
1) Slices:
a) 5.3 grams - 24mm x 14mm x 6mm - $19-SOLD
b) 10.2 grams - 30mm x 18mm x 6mm - $36
c) 14.2 grams - 37mm x 22mm x 6mm - $50
d) 26.1 grams - 60mm x 28mm x 5mm - $90
e) 42.5 grams - 70mm x 35mm x 6mm - $140

NWA 8457: Ordinary chondrite. (LL3.2). Found before February 2014. Tkw = 54.6 grams.
Here is one I was not going to get classified (too small). However Dr. Love in North Carolina wanted to work on a true type 3 meteorite. This little stone was all I had that I could pretty much guarantee was a type 3. Not only was it a type three though, it was a really low numbered (primitive) one! There are 19 total meteorites of this type known in the world. This is weathered (W3) but it shows LOTS of chondrules (of many colors and sizes) in a medium brown matrix. I have only these two pieces.
1) Cut fragments
a) 13.5 grams - 25mm x 22mm x 11mm - $200-SOLD
b) 23.6 grams - 40mm x 29mm x 9mm - $350-SOLD

ISHEYEVO, Russia: Carbonaceous chondrite (CH/CBb). Found October 2003. Tkw = 16 kilograms.
This is odd stuff. It pretty much looks like an iron or an enstatite perhaps but is really a carbonaceous. This is around 60%
metal! However, it does contain small (around .02 to 1.0mm diameter) chondrules and CAIs, clearly showing it is neither an iron or enstatite chondrite. This was found in October of 2003 by a tractor driver. It was September of 2004 before a piece was delivered for research. That work showed that not only was this a strange carbonaceous chondrite but that it was a unique one having features of both the CH and CBb (Bencubbin like but with tiny chondrules). As such, this is the ONLY meteorite in the world classified as a CH/CBb type! Neat stuff. I only have 40grams total available though (wish I had more).
1) Slices:
a) .52 grams - 8mm x 5mm x 2mm - $47
b) 1.26 grams - 10mm x 7mm x 3mm - $110
c) 2.4 grams - 17mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $205-SOLD
d) 5.3 grams - 22mm x 17mm x 3mm - $440-SOLD
e) 10.1 grams - 35mm x 23mm x 3mm - $800-SOLD

NWA 8386: Achondrite. (Howardite). Found before February 2014. Tkw = 1002 grams.
I got a box of, frankly, really ugly fragments in Tucson towards the end of the show. These didn’t even look like meteorites but my XRF hinted that they were though. Cutting, however, revealed a really nice Moon rock looking brecciated interior. There are white, green and gray clasts of all sizes in a medium gray matrix. This is quite shocked and hard to cut (and impossible to break cleanly), a rare feature among HEDs but fairly common in lunars. Research showed this to be an HED meteorite composed of roughly 30% diogenite, 60% basaltic eucrite and 10% cumulate eucrite. This is likely a regolith breccia sample from the surface of the asteroid Vesta. The pieces listed here are all cut fragments/ end pieces but I do have a few slices available for those of you that prefer more of the interior over the natural exterior.
1) Cut fragments/ end pieces:
a) 2.1 grams - 22mm x 13mm x 5mm - $25
b) 4.3 grams - 25mm x 15mm x 7mm - $50
c) 9.2 grams - 25mm x 20mm x 10mm - $100
d) 15.1 grams - 40mm x 25mm x 10mm - $160-SOLD
e) 22.5 grams - 45mm x 38mm x 8mm - $237-SOLD
f) 33.3 grams - 50mm x 40mm x 10mm - $350

SPRINGWATER, Canada: (Pallasite). Found 1931. Tkw = about 200 kilograms.
Originally, only 68kg in three pieces were found. It was not until 2009 that the strewn filed was located and more pieces were found by using high-power deep seeking metal detector equipment. The pieces listed here are nice complete slices (and a nice end piece) from stones found during this second recovery. They are all cut really thin and pass light through most of the crystals. One side is polished to show bright shiny metal between the crystals and the other has been etched. Beautiful pieces and very rare, as few complete pallasite slices are available (at least in “affordable” sizes). I have several of the smaller size, but only one each of the large slice and end piece.
1) Complete slices: polished one side, etched on the other:
a) 17.4 grams - 55mm x 47mm x 1.5mm - $330-SOLD
b) 230.3 grams - 205mm x 130mm x 2mm - $4000
2) End piece:
a) 201 grams - 65mm x 60mm x 30mm - $3000

STRELLEY POOL STROMATOLITE: Some of the oldest “fossils”/ evidence of early life known.
Stromatolite “fossils” are clearly layered sediments that are formed by microbial mats living in shallow waters. These bio-films trap and bind sediments as the colony builds, giving broken pieces of the resulting rocks a bit of a tree-ring appearance. Storamtolites provide the most ancient records of life, with some dating to more than 3.5 billion years ago. These particular specimens are roughly 3.4 billion years old and come from Western Australia.
Roughly 20mm x 20mm x 10mm plus specimen in plastic display box - $25

NOTE: For those of you that missed out on pieces of the Acasta Gneiss last list, I have a few more specimens available now. If you asked for a piece but did not get one, I already have a piece set aside for you. I have maybe half a dozen more available in addition to those.

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.
I do have a new fax machine that seems to work (but I have to answer it and manually turn it on), so overseas people can contact me that way if they must However, for overseas orders, it probably is best to go ahead and use my brmeteorites@yahoo.com e-mail.