Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 153

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 153

Blaine Reed

P.O. Box 1141

Delta, CO 81416

Ph/fax (970) 874-1487

…………………………………………………LIST 153

May 20, 2014

BOOK: OUR STONE-PELTED PLANET by H.H. Nininger.

I picked this up in Tucson along with a copy of Farrington’s “Meteorites”. I have read this one a couple times in the past so I’m putting this one up for sale (I may sell the Farrington later once I have had a chance to got through it). It is a pretty usual used copy. It is missing the dust jacket and is clearly an ex-library book (Nevada State Library I think). It is in pretty good shape overall, aside from the old now marked out library labels (mostly on the first pages). This may be actually be rarer (but, perhaps, not quite as desirable) than other copies in that I think this may be the first copy I have ever had that does NOT have Nininger’s signature in it. Anyway, a good reading copy of a fairly rare book.

                Nininger’s “Our Stone-Pelted Planet” - $150 

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).

Here is a tumble polished piece of this now very difficult to get meteorite. I got this as part of a collection that was mostly glasses (tektites and fulgurites) over a year ago. It looks very much like the small tumbled Odessa piece Robert Haag sold years ago – rounded corners, lots of bright metal but still wit black patches in the deeper recesses. I can’t help but wonder if this was one of the ones I heard about back when we (myself and a few friends) acquired the Guadalupe y Calve hexahedrite. While I was looking that over a guy had asked me how Robert “made” those nice little tumbled Odessas (which were selling about as fast as he could prepare them). I gave him my thoughts on how it was done and asked why he wanted to know. He said he had gotten a small “bucket full” of roughly thumb-sized Canyon Diablo pieces that were not only natural but had a white number painted on them. He didn’t like the appearance (or the number) and it seemed his potential customers did not either. I explained what these likely where (Nininger specimens) and their longer term importance to collectors but he was not interested. He also was not interested in selling them to me at anything near what those things would have been worth at the time (maybe $.25 to .30/g, I think I was paying around $35/ pound for Diablos those days). He wanted the much higher $1/g he thought he would get for them cleaned as this was the price Robert was getting for his tumbled Odessas (which, importantly, were very MUCH smaller than the Diablos). Wish I could go back and give this idiot the $1/g now. Anyway, I just have to wonder if this, actually kind of nice specimen was one of those.

                30.9 gram tumble polished individual – 42mm x 15mm x 10mm - $40

NAKHLA, Egypt: Mars rock (Nakhlite). Fell June 28, 1911. Tkw = around 10 kilograms.

It has been a looooong time since I have been able to offer a piece of this famous meteorite. Unfortunately, this is among the most expensive (overall specimen price wise) specimen I have offered as well. However, this is also among the most "Museum grade” specimens I have offered as well. This is a nice, fresh fragment that has a very substantial (around 18mm x 13mm) patch of fresh shiny black crust. This is truly a rare opportunity for the Mars Rock collector (I have generally stopped calling these things “SNCs” as there have been a number of new type Mars rocks that don’t fit those classifications lately).

                5.60 gram fragment with crust – 20mm x 14mm x 15mm - $15,000 – crust patch 18mm x 13mm

NWA 5546: Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3). Found 2008. Tkw = 3.8 kilograms.

I am not sure why this one is still listed as “provisional” in the Bulletin. The provisional report shows the history, type, researcher and everything but yet it hasn’t become “official”. I got a couple pieces of this from Matt late last year and finally decided to chop them in half while doing cutting work on other things on my 10” saw. This is quite weathered, has internal cracks and such but yet is fairly appealing on the cut surfaces. It shows lots of generally large chondrules of various shades of gray, brown and orange in a medium to dark chocolate matrix. These are fairly large and I may end up breaking them down if people really want smaller specimens. I priced these as the cheapest CV3 I have to help make up for the size.

1)       Cut fragments:

a)       84.8 grams – 70mm x 50mm x 10mm - $250

b)       113.8 grams – 80mm x 47mm x 10mm - $340

c)       152.6 grams – 85mm x 50mm x 12mm - $450

ODESSA, Texas: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).

This is an interesting solid really dark brown, nearly black individual. It has been cleaned or treated somehow but I am not certain how. It does not appear to have ever been wire brushed (at least not in anyway more than a really light brushing with a really soft wheel maybe). It does still have a couple tiny areas of natural fine sand or dirt in a couple recesses. I suspect that it was lightly cleaned to remove dirt and maybe some scale but then spent the rest of its life well oiled. Regardless, this is a good sample of this quite scarce (these days) meteorite.

                276.8 gram individual – 65mm x 50mm x 20mm - $200

ZAG, Western Sahara/ Morocco: (H3-6). Fell August 4 or 5, 1998. Tkw = about 175 kilograms.

Here are some really fresh fragments of this important meteorite. This fall is one of only two chondrites (the other being Monahans, TX which also fell in 1998, interestingly) that have been found to contain salt crystals that clearly show that water flowed through these meteorite’s parent body at one time! These crystals, when seen are bright blue or purple due to damage from radiation over the (billions) years. These pieces appear to be natural fragments that are very light gray to nearly white and were likely among the very earliest pieces to have been picked up (I have a fair number of pieces that very obviously were later recoveries. Let me know if you want any of these cheaper pieces). I thought about cutting some of these as some pieces contain an interesting breccia texture but decided against it. This was, though there is a very small chance that any of these contain salt crystals, cutting them would most certainly destroy them if there were any.

1)       Natural fresh fragments:

a)       6.2 grams – 20mm x 17mm x 7mm - $25

b)       9.6 grams – 22mm x 20mm x 10mm - $38

c)       17.7 grams – 25mm x 20mm x 15mm - $70

d)       47.7 grams – 60mm x 30mm x 17mm - $180 – has some obvious breccia zones.

DIAMONDS: “Carbonados” from Brazil.

I remember reading some kind of “news” snippet in a Discover Magazine some years ago that said something to the effect that these “frothy” diamonds from Brazil were likely associated with a meteorite. Furthermore, they weren’t from an impact here on Earth but (supposedly) were already contained in the meteorite before it hit! They supposedly have weathered out and are now found scattered about the find area. This, to be honest, sounds really far-fetched to me. But then, this is the attitude many took early on towards the theories that SNCs were from Mars and the HEDs were from Vesta (both now accepted as fact). Anyway, I tried to obtain some of these after reading that and completely failed (one friend in the diamond business said he could help but I would have to spend a minimum of $50k). I have since kept my eyes out for samples. I finally found some interesting nondescript shaped, somewhat porous diamonds labeled as Brazilian “carbonados” at the Denver Spring show a couple years ago (and misplaced them not long after). I set one aside after rediscovering these and the rest are listed here.

1)       Natural “crystals” as found:

a)       1.1 carat – 7mm x 5mm x 4mm - $100 – light yellow color.

b)       1.6 carat – 9mm x 5mm x 5mm - $150 – light gray color.

c)       2.0 carat – 8mm x 8mm x 5mm - $180 – mixed clear and light tan color.

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 72 7APR09

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487…………………………………………………..LIST 72
April 7, 2009

Dear collectors,
Here is yet another offering of material I brought home from Tucson. I apologize that this is going out quite late (particularly for those of you overseas).
It is nice to know that the snow is starting to melt but spring here also brings ditch burning season here (farmers getting ready for the irrigation system to start flowing next week). The smoke and starting of things growing has set off my season of allergies and sinus headaches. I was in rough enough shape most of this morning that I could not seem to get any meaningful work done until now (early afternoon).
As usual, contact me as soon as possible if you want me to set anything aside for you. Enjoy!

BRENHAM, Kansas: (Pallasite).
This is a nice etched complete slice cut from a 69kg iron individual (actually kind of rare for this meteorite) found on October 30, 2005 by Steve Arnold. This shows a nice etch.
274.8 gram complete etched slice - 200mm x 60mm x 2mm - $450

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
This is a little wire brushed individual I sold to a collector in Florida many years ago. It has a fairly nice shape (Not a lump) and looks quite nice overall (it held up very well in the humid environment and is not rusting at all).
86.7 gram brushed individual - 50mm x 23mm x 16mm - $60

HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB).
Found 1931.
This is a nice natural (not brushed) shrapnel shaped individual. I offered some similar pieces on an earlier mailed offering and quickly sold out. Here is on more chance for a "larger" Henbury specimen.
43.3 gram natural individual - 40mm x 20mm x 12mm - $55 SOLD

BLUFF (b), Texas: (L4). Found 1917. Tkw = 15.5 kilograms.
This is one of my favorite chondrites. It has a beautiful jade-green color unlike any other. This originally came from the Monig collection but this all sold rapidly and no more is available from that source. This piece is from a collector who bought it years ago when it was readily available. I kind of wish I bought a large piece for display myself now.
26.2 gram part slice - 50mm x 25mm x 6mm - $150

FRANCONIA, Arizona: (H5). Found October 31, 2002. Tkw = about 100kg.
Here are a couple individuals that each have a polished window that shows a bit of the interior, as if the finder was not certain that these pieces were meteorites despite the obvious fusion crust covering the rest of the specimens until they saw the chondrules and metal inside.
a) 25.8 gram individual - 30mm x 20mm x 18mm - $40
b) 80.5 gram individual - 35mm x 30mm x 30mm - $120

HAXTUN, Colorado: (H/L 4). Found 1975. Tkw = 45.5kg.
This is an interesting cut fragment of this strange material that has a "large" (about 3mm x 4mm) green chondrule showing on the cut and polished face.
17.5 gram cut fragment - 25mm x 13mm x 23mm - $60 SOLD

GAO - ???: Mystery slice.This is a complete fresh slice of a meteorite that a friend of mine received in a batch of Gao individuals he bought years ago. Its fresh black crust made it obvious that it was something different. The interior is a nice light gray (no rust spotting at all) with sparse chondrules and plenty of fresh metal. This looks to be either a type 5 or 6 (could be either L or H type, it is really hard to tell with this one) It is possible that this is indeed a fresh Gao piece that was picked up right after the fall (I have only seen one other such fresh Gao piece - a small slice from a museum) but it is more likely a new fall that got collected (unnoticed, unfortunately) by the people gathering up pieces of the older Gao fall. This stone, I was told, weighed only a few hundred grams and the other slices have already long since found new homes.
37.2 gram complete fresh slice - 47mm x 40mm x 7mm - $150 SOLD

NWA: Unclassified but likely (L6) with shock veins.
Here is a neat little individual I picked up that had obvious shock veins showing on its surface. I turned out to show these nicely on the interior as well after I cut it in half. The interior shows obvious breccia fragments that are separated by black shock veins. I really wish more of this one was available.
89.3 gram individual cut in half - 55mm x 35mm cut faces - $50 SOLD

ZAG, Western Sahara: (H3-6) breccia. Fell August 4 or 5, 1998. Tkw = about 175kg.
This fragment does show some weathering so it was not picked up immediately after the fall (as few were). It has a 38mm x 20mm patch of black crust and the interior looks like it shows breccia texture (darker type 3 material looks to be amply present). As much as I hate to say it, this piece would probably be really good for cutting up into nice slices.
124.4 gram fragment - 45mm x 35mm x 35mm - $175

NWA (2988), (Eucrite). Tkw = 4602grams.
Lunar look a like!This is really an NWA (482) (Lunar) look-alike. In fact the guys who bought this thought that it was indeed another piece of that famous meteorite. The science though says that this is really "just" a eucrite. Still neat and rare, but quite a let down when you thought you had a nearly 5kg lunar in your hands. This is indeed almost exactly like NWA (482) structurally (showing angular fragments and abundant dark shock veins). About the only real difference is that this material has a bit darker gray clasts and a bit lighter gray shock veins. Here is a chance to own the structure of NWA (482) (very popular and in demand) at less than 1/100th the price.
76.5 gram complete slice - 115mm x 90mm x 3mm - $1200 SOLD

ORGUEIL, France: Carbonaceous chondrite (CI1). Fell May 14, 1864.
This is a piece I forgot I had! Hard to imagine, I realize, but it was hiding in with some other special material I had set aside some years ago (so this one item is NOT a Tucson recovery). This is by far the largest and most solid piece I have of this extremely rare material. This is a nice solid chunk that was sealed in a plastic bag to protect it (which it seems did work as this specimen shows very little of the white sulfate weathering products I have seen on other pierces of this stuff over the years). It also has a Humbolt University label with it, though I cannot guarantee that it really belongs with this piece (it lists no weight and seems to indicate 3 pieces - not just one. Maybe there were 2 smaller specimens with this at one time and the label traveled along with the largest piece).
3.35 gram fragment - 16mm x 15mm x 12m - $4500 SOLD