Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
LIST 98
December 28, 2010
Dear Collectors,
I really had not planned on having any further lists this year. I was supposed to be in Denver this week. Unfortunately the weather and several deals that need to be finished (including picking up a nice 8.4kg natural Gibeon specimen from the owner in Grand Junction yesterday) prevented this. The weather is not bad right now (sunny – only the second day in weeks! My solar system has not proven to be of much use the past couple months, unfortunately). But, another big storm is moving in and expected to stay awhile. Linda has jury duty January 3rd as well and I cannot risk getting stuck an extra week in Denver right now (as happened all last December and January on every trip I made up there to clean up my Aunt's estate).
Any way, these are a few things from TCU. Most of these have a Monig collection label. The large Travis (a) slice and the fragment lots of Norton County don't, unfortunately (I may be able to get a label made up for the Travis (a) piece and send that to the buyer later though).
NORTON COUNTY, Kansas: enstatite achondrite (Aubrite). Fell February 18, 1948. Tkw = 1175kg.
I have not had any of this in a looong time, particularly pieces large enough to actually weigh (the 4 fragment lot could have easily been broken down into 4 individually weighed specimens). As mentioned above, the two large specimens (3.1g and 18.0g) come with Monig Collection labels.
a) 2.9 grams of fragments (crumbs to about 7 or 8mm in size) in glass vial - $75
b) 3.0 grams; 4 nice fragments (roughly equal size) - $120
c) 3.1 gram fragment – 18mm x 15mm x 8mm - $120
d) 18.0 gram fragment – 31mm x 28mm x 16mm - $675 – this has a really large enstatite crystal (30mm x 20mm x 10mm) on one end.
TRAVIS COUNTY (a), Texas: (H5). Found 1889. Tkw = 175.4kg.
This is the fresher (by a bit) of the two Travis County stones. It has a good number of metal and sulfide rimmed chondrules in a dark green/gray matrix. This piece also has a few large Troilite inclusions (one that is about 10mm x 6mm).
136.9 gram complete slice – 175mm x 80mm x 3mm - $200
TRAVIS COUNTY (b), Texas: (H4). Found before 1980. Tkw = 5.9kg.
This is the rarer of the two Travis County stones. It is a bit more weathered than the Travis (a), but is still nice. These pices show lots of chondrules (really visible on the back unpolished side) in a mixed medium to dark brown matrix.
a) 20.1 gram part slice – 45mm x 34mm x 5mm - $40
b) 64.2 gram ½ slice – 80mm x 60mm x 5mm - $120
TULIA (d), Texas: (H6). Found 1981. Tkw = 17.7kg.
Yep, I did sell the last piece I had of this from the last list, BUT the folks at TCU noticed this offering and sent up a couple pieces (2 "large" complete slices) that they had set aside somewhere (as inventory for potential trades with other museums, perhaps). Any way, I am offering the largest here. I have a very similar 99.2 gram piece, but I am temporarily holding that one for someone that wanted the 74g one I had last time but missed out.
114.1 gram complete slice – 100mm x 84mm x 4mm - $285
Friday, 31 December 2010
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 97, more consigned plus "gift ideas"
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
LIST 97
December 14, 2010
Dear Collectors,
Here is an offering of remaining consigned items and a couple things that turned up while doing inventory work (I have just begun this long tedious process, so more my turn up later). I also forgot about some beautiful sterling wire-wrapped Moldavite and Libyan glass pendants that would make great gifts, though I am, admittedly, a bit late on that. I can ship express if needed though..
HUCKITTA, Australia: (Pallasite).
This is a smaller piece than the last one I listed. This is a slice though.
6.3 grams slice (no cut edges) – 22mm x 17mm x 5mm - $12
NWA (----): Unstudied. Likely (L6) .
This is a nice part slice. It has 2 cut edges and the remainder shows slightly wind-polished black crust. The interior is also interesting. It shows a good number of black shock veins in a light brown matrix. Nice stuff, would not mind having a fairly large quantity of this one if it were available.
17.7 gram slice – 45mm x 30mm x 5mm - $20
NWA (-----): Unstudied. Likely (H5).
This is a nice complete slice that shows lots of metal in a mixed light to medium brown matrix. If it didn't have a wind-polished crust edge, I would probably guess that this was Gao.
17.2 gram complete slice – 52mm x 27mm x 4mm - $15
NWA (2907): Anomalous achondrite. Found before Sept. 2005. Tkw = 203grams.
This is some strange stuff I picked up at the Denver Show. It has the mineralogy of a diogenite but it appears to be from the parent body of the Mesosiderites. It certainly does not look anything like a diogenite. It has fine granular texture with some slightly larger (couple mm or so) clasts in a orangish to almost pinkish brown matrix. This is a consigned specimen. I think I have a few (but very few) pieces remaining of this of my own (though I have not come across them yet), so let me know if more of you want specimens and I will set them aside or you when I do locate mine.
.85 grams complete slice – 17mm x 10mm x 2mm - $65
SANTA VITORIA DO PALMAR, Brazil: (L3). Found 2003/2004.
This, as with the Huckitta, is a smaller piece than offered last time that turned up in the same consignment lot.
1.5 gram slice – 15mm x 8mm x 4mm - $8
SELMA, Alabama: (H4). Found 1906. Tkw = 141kg.
This is just a basic square cut sample(a nice "macro"). The unpolished back shows lots of chondrules. The front shows fewer chondrules (polishing darkens things) in a dark green and brown mixed matrix.
3.6 gram slice – 18mm x 17mm x 3mm - $30
SEYMCHAN, Russia; (Pallasite).
This is a nice rectangle cut iron piece. It has a beautiful etch and particularly well shows the fantastic diversity of this meteorite's structure (with areas that appear to be finest octahedrite structure as well as some bands that are almost coarsest octahedral width). A really nice piece and a testament to the stability of this stuff. This shows only the tinniest traces of brown rust staining along a couple crystal boundaries on the back even after spending considerable time in Florida (without special storage no less!).
62.0gram etched 9both sides) slice – 61mm x 41mm x 3mm - $90
TULIA (D), Texas: (H6). Found 1981. Tkw = 17.7kg.
This is my last piece of this, and I know the source (TCU) is not cutting any more. I don't think they cut much of this to begin with, so very little of it is floating around the collecting world. This is a large piece, but I have tried to price it very close (if not slightly under) what I paid for the thing. However, let me know if you want a smaller piece of this for your collection. If I get a number of "smaller pieces wanted" orders, I may break this down.
78.7 gram slice – 95mm x 70mm x 4mm - $175
ZAG, Morocco: (H3-6). Fell August 4 or 5 1998. Tkw = 175kg.
This is one of 2 meteorites that halite crystals were discovered in 9the other being Monahans, TX). This is a nice "E-Bay" lot perhaps. It consists of 5 pieces including 2 large pieces (23mm x 6mm x 5mm and 28mm x 10mm x 5mm) and a couple small (a bit under 1cm max dimension) fragments.
13.5 grams slices and fragments - $25
JEWELRY: I know, I really needed to have these offered last week (or earlier) but completely forgot about these things until I opened the box they were in while inventorying part of the vault a couple days ago. I am going to try to get Blake to take a group photo of these so I can send it to anyone interested. I will have the different sized moldavite and libyan glass pendants arranged from lightest (first listed below) to heaviest from left to right in the picture. The other items should be fairly obvious.
CAMPO DEL CIELO:
I have 2 necklaces that have a Campo nugget as the center piece. BUT, the remainder, in my opinion, is the best part. These are very well done. They use all kinds of glass and stone beads. The maker also felt (and I certainly agree) they were good enough to spend extra money to use a sterling "lobster claw" for the clasp. One is mostly blue and light purple, the other red and yellows. Your choice - $80
LIBYAN DESERT GLASS:
These are nice clear pieces (the largest does have a fair number of round white crystobalite inclusions though) that have wire-wrapped in sterling with almost indescribable skill. The "back side" of these is often even fancier on the silver work than what will be visible in the picture.
a) 7.6 grams total - $80 – glass sample is roughly 25mm x 16mm x 6mm. Overall pendant is 35mm x 25mm x 22mm.
b) 11.3 grams total - $115 – glass sample is roughly 30mm x 21mm x 8mm and roughly arrow-head shaped. Overall pendant is 53mm x 22mm x 10mm.
c) 12.4 grams total - $125 – glass sample is roughly 35mm x 20mm x 12mm. Overall pendant is 50mm x 25mm x 15mm.
MOLDAVITE:
These, as above, are fancy wrapped with sterling (except the carving – noted below and photoed next to the NWA (482) and Sikhote pieces). I tried to pick samples that have nice surface texture to them (no river-worn pieces here). Some do have broken or chipped areas, but they were wrapped such that this does not readily show from the front. Also, as above, the silver work is often fancier than that on the front (so accidentally wearing one of these backwards would still look great).
a) 9.4 grams total - $100 – moldavite is roughly 26mm x 17mm x 5mm. Overall pendant is 37mm x 30mm x 10mm.
b) 11.2 grams total - $115 – moldavite is roughly 40mm x 14mm x 6mm. Overall pendant is 63mm x 17mm x 12mm.
c) 17.2 grams total - $170 – moldavite is roughly 40mm x 12mm x 10mm. Overall pendant is 63mm x 17mm x 13mm (this has some really heavy sterling "wire" in it).
d) Moldavite with 3 amethyst gem stones. Now this is really special! The work in this thing is incredible. The moldavite is roughly 40mm x 12mm x 5mm and the overall pendant is 62mm x 25mm x 10mm - $250
e) Moldavite carving. This is a 18mm x 16mm x 9mm moldavite that has a beautiful woman's face carved into it (remainder is natural) and wire-wrapped in 14kt gold-filled wire. Total weight is 4.0g - $100.
NWA (482):
This is my last "moon dust" pendant. It is a small (20mm long) tear-drop glass vial with dust from the cutting of the NWA (482) moon rock. It is attached (glued?) to a 14kt gold bell cap. - $100
SIKHOTE-ALIN:
This is a nice basic shrapnel piece (roughly 28mm x 17mm x 6mm) wrapped simply but elegantly in sterling wire. Total piece is 13.5 grams and 40mm x 19mm x 7mm - $45
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
LIST 97
December 14, 2010
Dear Collectors,
Here is an offering of remaining consigned items and a couple things that turned up while doing inventory work (I have just begun this long tedious process, so more my turn up later). I also forgot about some beautiful sterling wire-wrapped Moldavite and Libyan glass pendants that would make great gifts, though I am, admittedly, a bit late on that. I can ship express if needed though..
HUCKITTA, Australia: (Pallasite).
This is a smaller piece than the last one I listed. This is a slice though.
6.3 grams slice (no cut edges) – 22mm x 17mm x 5mm - $12
NWA (----): Unstudied. Likely (L6) .
This is a nice part slice. It has 2 cut edges and the remainder shows slightly wind-polished black crust. The interior is also interesting. It shows a good number of black shock veins in a light brown matrix. Nice stuff, would not mind having a fairly large quantity of this one if it were available.
17.7 gram slice – 45mm x 30mm x 5mm - $20
NWA (-----): Unstudied. Likely (H5).
This is a nice complete slice that shows lots of metal in a mixed light to medium brown matrix. If it didn't have a wind-polished crust edge, I would probably guess that this was Gao.
17.2 gram complete slice – 52mm x 27mm x 4mm - $15
NWA (2907): Anomalous achondrite. Found before Sept. 2005. Tkw = 203grams.
This is some strange stuff I picked up at the Denver Show. It has the mineralogy of a diogenite but it appears to be from the parent body of the Mesosiderites. It certainly does not look anything like a diogenite. It has fine granular texture with some slightly larger (couple mm or so) clasts in a orangish to almost pinkish brown matrix. This is a consigned specimen. I think I have a few (but very few) pieces remaining of this of my own (though I have not come across them yet), so let me know if more of you want specimens and I will set them aside or you when I do locate mine.
.85 grams complete slice – 17mm x 10mm x 2mm - $65
SANTA VITORIA DO PALMAR, Brazil: (L3). Found 2003/2004.
This, as with the Huckitta, is a smaller piece than offered last time that turned up in the same consignment lot.
1.5 gram slice – 15mm x 8mm x 4mm - $8
SELMA, Alabama: (H4). Found 1906. Tkw = 141kg.
This is just a basic square cut sample(a nice "macro"). The unpolished back shows lots of chondrules. The front shows fewer chondrules (polishing darkens things) in a dark green and brown mixed matrix.
3.6 gram slice – 18mm x 17mm x 3mm - $30
SEYMCHAN, Russia; (Pallasite).
This is a nice rectangle cut iron piece. It has a beautiful etch and particularly well shows the fantastic diversity of this meteorite's structure (with areas that appear to be finest octahedrite structure as well as some bands that are almost coarsest octahedral width). A really nice piece and a testament to the stability of this stuff. This shows only the tinniest traces of brown rust staining along a couple crystal boundaries on the back even after spending considerable time in Florida (without special storage no less!).
62.0gram etched 9both sides) slice – 61mm x 41mm x 3mm - $90
TULIA (D), Texas: (H6). Found 1981. Tkw = 17.7kg.
This is my last piece of this, and I know the source (TCU) is not cutting any more. I don't think they cut much of this to begin with, so very little of it is floating around the collecting world. This is a large piece, but I have tried to price it very close (if not slightly under) what I paid for the thing. However, let me know if you want a smaller piece of this for your collection. If I get a number of "smaller pieces wanted" orders, I may break this down.
78.7 gram slice – 95mm x 70mm x 4mm - $175
ZAG, Morocco: (H3-6). Fell August 4 or 5 1998. Tkw = 175kg.
This is one of 2 meteorites that halite crystals were discovered in 9the other being Monahans, TX). This is a nice "E-Bay" lot perhaps. It consists of 5 pieces including 2 large pieces (23mm x 6mm x 5mm and 28mm x 10mm x 5mm) and a couple small (a bit under 1cm max dimension) fragments.
13.5 grams slices and fragments - $25
JEWELRY: I know, I really needed to have these offered last week (or earlier) but completely forgot about these things until I opened the box they were in while inventorying part of the vault a couple days ago. I am going to try to get Blake to take a group photo of these so I can send it to anyone interested. I will have the different sized moldavite and libyan glass pendants arranged from lightest (first listed below) to heaviest from left to right in the picture. The other items should be fairly obvious.
CAMPO DEL CIELO:
I have 2 necklaces that have a Campo nugget as the center piece. BUT, the remainder, in my opinion, is the best part. These are very well done. They use all kinds of glass and stone beads. The maker also felt (and I certainly agree) they were good enough to spend extra money to use a sterling "lobster claw" for the clasp. One is mostly blue and light purple, the other red and yellows. Your choice - $80
LIBYAN DESERT GLASS:
These are nice clear pieces (the largest does have a fair number of round white crystobalite inclusions though) that have wire-wrapped in sterling with almost indescribable skill. The "back side" of these is often even fancier on the silver work than what will be visible in the picture.
a) 7.6 grams total - $80 – glass sample is roughly 25mm x 16mm x 6mm. Overall pendant is 35mm x 25mm x 22mm.
b) 11.3 grams total - $115 – glass sample is roughly 30mm x 21mm x 8mm and roughly arrow-head shaped. Overall pendant is 53mm x 22mm x 10mm.
c) 12.4 grams total - $125 – glass sample is roughly 35mm x 20mm x 12mm. Overall pendant is 50mm x 25mm x 15mm.
MOLDAVITE:
These, as above, are fancy wrapped with sterling (except the carving – noted below and photoed next to the NWA (482) and Sikhote pieces). I tried to pick samples that have nice surface texture to them (no river-worn pieces here). Some do have broken or chipped areas, but they were wrapped such that this does not readily show from the front. Also, as above, the silver work is often fancier than that on the front (so accidentally wearing one of these backwards would still look great).
a) 9.4 grams total - $100 – moldavite is roughly 26mm x 17mm x 5mm. Overall pendant is 37mm x 30mm x 10mm.
b) 11.2 grams total - $115 – moldavite is roughly 40mm x 14mm x 6mm. Overall pendant is 63mm x 17mm x 12mm.
c) 17.2 grams total - $170 – moldavite is roughly 40mm x 12mm x 10mm. Overall pendant is 63mm x 17mm x 13mm (this has some really heavy sterling "wire" in it).
d) Moldavite with 3 amethyst gem stones. Now this is really special! The work in this thing is incredible. The moldavite is roughly 40mm x 12mm x 5mm and the overall pendant is 62mm x 25mm x 10mm - $250
e) Moldavite carving. This is a 18mm x 16mm x 9mm moldavite that has a beautiful woman's face carved into it (remainder is natural) and wire-wrapped in 14kt gold-filled wire. Total weight is 4.0g - $100.
NWA (482):
This is my last "moon dust" pendant. It is a small (20mm long) tear-drop glass vial with dust from the cutting of the NWA (482) moon rock. It is attached (glued?) to a 14kt gold bell cap. - $100
SIKHOTE-ALIN:
This is a nice basic shrapnel piece (roughly 28mm x 17mm x 6mm) wrapped simply but elegantly in sterling wire. Total piece is 13.5 grams and 40mm x 19mm x 7mm - $45
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
List 96, more miscellaneous consigned items
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
..................................LIST 96
November 30, 2010
Dear Collectors,
I have been very busy with projects of various sorts and have not had time to put together any kind of list for the past month and a half. These items are actually from a box of consignments that was sent to me shortly after the Denver Show. I do hope to get on the ball and get inventory work started soon. That should bring out some special "only got a tiny bit left" offerings next month. Unfortunately though that on top of all of the other things I have been trying to accomplish I got notice yesterday that I need to prepare the "landing spot" for a trailer that will become my ultra-light's hanger. I have gotten tired of hanging myself trying to carefully get around all of the wires of the hang-glider wing taking up a substantial portion of my garage (I am beginning to think that the reason they call these wings "hang-gliders" is not because you hang underneath them while flying, but because you can't move around one that is completely or partially set up with out hanging yourself on a support wire or two). This was NOT a project I had planned on working on for the near term, but the trailer yard says it must be moved by the end of next week. I will have many hours of dirt moving and such to do now, so future lists (and the inventory work that will generate them) will likely be a bit delayed or oddly timed. I apologize for this.
ALLENDE, Mexico: Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3.2). Fell February 8, 1969.
This is a nice complete stone! It has a very high amount of crust coverage (something like 90% - only the usual chipped edges). What is interesting is that all o this crust shows lots of contraction cracks. This may be partly due to the act that I think that this may be a "later" recovery and some light colored dirt has settled into the cracks. However, this is not one of the really later recoveries, it is still very fresh (no rust, no lichen and such as found on some of the most recent recovered specimens). Another interesting feature is a crater where a 3mm chondrule popped out during the fall that is now fully crusted over.
8.8 gram crusted individual – 20mm x 17mm x 16mm - $90
BONITA SPRINGS, Florida: (H5). Found 1938. Tkw = 41.8 kg.
I am quite surprised at how fresh this is. I would think that any iron bearing meteorite found in Florida (or similar environment) would be deeply rust weathered. This is a nice light gray (there are some brown spots) color with lots of fresh metal.
3.0 gram slice – 18mm x 18mm x 3mm - $75
BRAHIN, Belarus: (pallasite). Found 1810. Tkw = 1000+kg.
This slice, of coarse, shows a fair amount of rusting, but it has not completely fallen apart (amazing considering it spent a long time in Florida). This does have some nice gemmy crystals though. One is really clear (only about 4mm x 4mm though) and could possibly be cut into a gem stone
5.7 gram slice – 27mm x 12mm x 5mm - $10
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: rock flour.
This is a small container (approximately 20mm x 20mm x 15mm) that is a bit over half full of white powdered sandstone. This is some of the "rock flour" (highly shocked Coconino Sandstone) that was retrieved from the "mine" shaft in the bottom of the crater.
Approximately 18mm x 18mm x 10mm in box - $20
GHUBARA, Oman: (L5), black, xenolithic. Found 1954. Tkw = 250+kg.
2.5 gram slice – 15mm x 8mm x 6mm - $3
GOLD BASIN, Arizona: (L4). Found 1995.
This is nothing special, just a typical representative cut fragment ( the back side is natural, but I don't see anything I would call crust). It has the usual surprisingly fresh interior with a fair amount o metal in a mixed gray and brown matrix.
5.6 gram end piece –26mm x 13mm x 8mm - $8
HENBURY, Australia; Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
This is just a typical natural individual. I used to have a lot of this stuff (in fact, this probably came from me years ago), but I am now down to only a small hand full (the strength of the Australian dollar combined with the weakness of the US dollar has made the "wholesale" price of this material higher than what I normally sold it for so I have not picked up any new materail in years).
8.6 gram natural individual – 20mm x 15mm x 6mm - $10
HUCKITTA, Australia: (pallasite).
This is an end piece of the usual oxide material.
21.6 gram end piece – 35mm x 13mm x 17mm - $32
IMILAC, Chile: (Pallasite).
This is a particularly nice "shrapnel" fragment. It has a really wild shape with some yellow and almost pinkish olivine in the deepest pockets.
10.0 gram fragment – 20mm x 18mm x 10mm - $60
MONTURAQUI, Chile: Impactite.
This is one of the better cut pieces of this I have seen.
7.7 gram end piece – 33mm x 23mm x 6mm - $15
MUNDRABILLA, Australia: Medium octahedrite, ungrouped.
This is just a basic natural individual metal nugget. Nice, but typical for this meteorite.
20.3 gram individual – 25mm x 17mm x 10mm - $20
NWA (------): unclassified, likely (H5).
This is a nice end piece with a large cut face (about 70mm x 60mm) that has not been polished (I can do this if you like). There is also another "test cut" on the back (about 35mm x 25mm). Overall, this is a nice specimen and would make an ideal "pass around" educational specimen. The interior is quite fresh – showing lots of metal in a light tan matrix (reminds of Gao). The exterior is very smooth (highly wind-polished) and has in interesting pinkish brown color. This looks shockingly similar (internally and externally) to the Sahara (99427) listed below, but then this piece weighs as much as the total reported (according the hand scribbled notes that came with all of this anyway – that Sahara stone has not been officially reported – according to Meteorites A to Z).
351.1 gram end piece – 70mm x 60mm x 40mm - $150
NWA (----), Unclassified.
This is just a typical fragment of chondrite (no real idea what kind as it has no cut or polished suraces).
7.0 gram fragment – 15mm x 15mm x 14mm - $3
NWA (482): Lunar impact melt breccia. Found 2000. Tkw = 1015grams.
This is a small fragment in a capsule in a magnifier box. This is almost completely white (anorthosite) with only a few hints of shock darkening.
.027 gram fragment 2.5mm x 2mm x 2mm - $50
NWA (2932) (Mesosiderite). Found 2005. Tkw = 15+kg.
I really wish I bought more of this when the "big" batch came out (I am out of it myself). This is what a mesosiderite should look like. It has a nice mix of metal (including one 5mm or so nodule) and silicates.
22.5 gram end piece – 40mm x 20mm x 13mm - $135
PUTORANA, Russia: Terrestrial Fe/Ni in basalt.
This is still a mystery to me. This has Fe, Ni ands even troilite. It is a breccia (unlike any other iron in basalt that I am aware of). This is a nice highly polished specimen that has loads of iron. This is a nice as any mesosiderite. This is the only piece of this I have (I am COMPLETELY sold out in my inventory).
7.8 gram slice – 40mm x 6mm x 5mm - $11
SAHARA (99427): Not reported but likely (H5), Tkw = 351.1 grams.
Here is a slice of this, unfortunately, unreported stone. It is quite fresh and shows lots of metal in a tan to brown matrix (reminds me of Gao).
43.2 gram slice – 47mm x 38mm x 8mm - $45
SANTA VITORIA DO PALMAR, Brazil. (L3). Ound 2003/2004. Tkw = 50.36kg.
This is the one, despite its rather dark matrix and lack of metal, that is reproted to have likely fallen June 25, 1997. I quickly sold all I had when I had a good quantity of it a few years ago. This does show lots of chondrules of all sizes, though there are a bit hidden in the dark brown matrix.
17.2 gram slice – 50mm x 25mm x 4mm - $80
SARIR QATTUSAH (001), Libya: (L/LL3). Found 1994. Tkw = 796 grams.
This is actually a nice specimen. It is weathered ( it only shows a few bits of metal) but it has lots of chondrules of different colors. It kind of reminds me of Ragland or Wells.
1.9 gram slice – 14mm x 12mm x 5mm - $30
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
..................................LIST 96
November 30, 2010
Dear Collectors,
I have been very busy with projects of various sorts and have not had time to put together any kind of list for the past month and a half. These items are actually from a box of consignments that was sent to me shortly after the Denver Show. I do hope to get on the ball and get inventory work started soon. That should bring out some special "only got a tiny bit left" offerings next month. Unfortunately though that on top of all of the other things I have been trying to accomplish I got notice yesterday that I need to prepare the "landing spot" for a trailer that will become my ultra-light's hanger. I have gotten tired of hanging myself trying to carefully get around all of the wires of the hang-glider wing taking up a substantial portion of my garage (I am beginning to think that the reason they call these wings "hang-gliders" is not because you hang underneath them while flying, but because you can't move around one that is completely or partially set up with out hanging yourself on a support wire or two). This was NOT a project I had planned on working on for the near term, but the trailer yard says it must be moved by the end of next week. I will have many hours of dirt moving and such to do now, so future lists (and the inventory work that will generate them) will likely be a bit delayed or oddly timed. I apologize for this.
ALLENDE, Mexico: Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3.2). Fell February 8, 1969.
This is a nice complete stone! It has a very high amount of crust coverage (something like 90% - only the usual chipped edges). What is interesting is that all o this crust shows lots of contraction cracks. This may be partly due to the act that I think that this may be a "later" recovery and some light colored dirt has settled into the cracks. However, this is not one of the really later recoveries, it is still very fresh (no rust, no lichen and such as found on some of the most recent recovered specimens). Another interesting feature is a crater where a 3mm chondrule popped out during the fall that is now fully crusted over.
8.8 gram crusted individual – 20mm x 17mm x 16mm - $90
BONITA SPRINGS, Florida: (H5). Found 1938. Tkw = 41.8 kg.
I am quite surprised at how fresh this is. I would think that any iron bearing meteorite found in Florida (or similar environment) would be deeply rust weathered. This is a nice light gray (there are some brown spots) color with lots of fresh metal.
3.0 gram slice – 18mm x 18mm x 3mm - $75
BRAHIN, Belarus: (pallasite). Found 1810. Tkw = 1000+kg.
This slice, of coarse, shows a fair amount of rusting, but it has not completely fallen apart (amazing considering it spent a long time in Florida). This does have some nice gemmy crystals though. One is really clear (only about 4mm x 4mm though) and could possibly be cut into a gem stone
5.7 gram slice – 27mm x 12mm x 5mm - $10
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: rock flour.
This is a small container (approximately 20mm x 20mm x 15mm) that is a bit over half full of white powdered sandstone. This is some of the "rock flour" (highly shocked Coconino Sandstone) that was retrieved from the "mine" shaft in the bottom of the crater.
Approximately 18mm x 18mm x 10mm in box - $20
GHUBARA, Oman: (L5), black, xenolithic. Found 1954. Tkw = 250+kg.
2.5 gram slice – 15mm x 8mm x 6mm - $3
GOLD BASIN, Arizona: (L4). Found 1995.
This is nothing special, just a typical representative cut fragment ( the back side is natural, but I don't see anything I would call crust). It has the usual surprisingly fresh interior with a fair amount o metal in a mixed gray and brown matrix.
5.6 gram end piece –26mm x 13mm x 8mm - $8
HENBURY, Australia; Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
This is just a typical natural individual. I used to have a lot of this stuff (in fact, this probably came from me years ago), but I am now down to only a small hand full (the strength of the Australian dollar combined with the weakness of the US dollar has made the "wholesale" price of this material higher than what I normally sold it for so I have not picked up any new materail in years).
8.6 gram natural individual – 20mm x 15mm x 6mm - $10
HUCKITTA, Australia: (pallasite).
This is an end piece of the usual oxide material.
21.6 gram end piece – 35mm x 13mm x 17mm - $32
IMILAC, Chile: (Pallasite).
This is a particularly nice "shrapnel" fragment. It has a really wild shape with some yellow and almost pinkish olivine in the deepest pockets.
10.0 gram fragment – 20mm x 18mm x 10mm - $60
MONTURAQUI, Chile: Impactite.
This is one of the better cut pieces of this I have seen.
7.7 gram end piece – 33mm x 23mm x 6mm - $15
MUNDRABILLA, Australia: Medium octahedrite, ungrouped.
This is just a basic natural individual metal nugget. Nice, but typical for this meteorite.
20.3 gram individual – 25mm x 17mm x 10mm - $20
NWA (------): unclassified, likely (H5).
This is a nice end piece with a large cut face (about 70mm x 60mm) that has not been polished (I can do this if you like). There is also another "test cut" on the back (about 35mm x 25mm). Overall, this is a nice specimen and would make an ideal "pass around" educational specimen. The interior is quite fresh – showing lots of metal in a light tan matrix (reminds of Gao). The exterior is very smooth (highly wind-polished) and has in interesting pinkish brown color. This looks shockingly similar (internally and externally) to the Sahara (99427) listed below, but then this piece weighs as much as the total reported (according the hand scribbled notes that came with all of this anyway – that Sahara stone has not been officially reported – according to Meteorites A to Z).
351.1 gram end piece – 70mm x 60mm x 40mm - $150
NWA (----), Unclassified.
This is just a typical fragment of chondrite (no real idea what kind as it has no cut or polished suraces).
7.0 gram fragment – 15mm x 15mm x 14mm - $3
NWA (482): Lunar impact melt breccia. Found 2000. Tkw = 1015grams.
This is a small fragment in a capsule in a magnifier box. This is almost completely white (anorthosite) with only a few hints of shock darkening.
.027 gram fragment 2.5mm x 2mm x 2mm - $50
NWA (2932) (Mesosiderite). Found 2005. Tkw = 15+kg.
I really wish I bought more of this when the "big" batch came out (I am out of it myself). This is what a mesosiderite should look like. It has a nice mix of metal (including one 5mm or so nodule) and silicates.
22.5 gram end piece – 40mm x 20mm x 13mm - $135
PUTORANA, Russia: Terrestrial Fe/Ni in basalt.
This is still a mystery to me. This has Fe, Ni ands even troilite. It is a breccia (unlike any other iron in basalt that I am aware of). This is a nice highly polished specimen that has loads of iron. This is a nice as any mesosiderite. This is the only piece of this I have (I am COMPLETELY sold out in my inventory).
7.8 gram slice – 40mm x 6mm x 5mm - $11
SAHARA (99427): Not reported but likely (H5), Tkw = 351.1 grams.
Here is a slice of this, unfortunately, unreported stone. It is quite fresh and shows lots of metal in a tan to brown matrix (reminds me of Gao).
43.2 gram slice – 47mm x 38mm x 8mm - $45
SANTA VITORIA DO PALMAR, Brazil. (L3). Ound 2003/2004. Tkw = 50.36kg.
This is the one, despite its rather dark matrix and lack of metal, that is reproted to have likely fallen June 25, 1997. I quickly sold all I had when I had a good quantity of it a few years ago. This does show lots of chondrules of all sizes, though there are a bit hidden in the dark brown matrix.
17.2 gram slice – 50mm x 25mm x 4mm - $80
SARIR QATTUSAH (001), Libya: (L/LL3). Found 1994. Tkw = 796 grams.
This is actually a nice specimen. It is weathered ( it only shows a few bits of metal) but it has lots of chondrules of different colors. It kind of reminds me of Ragland or Wells.
1.9 gram slice – 14mm x 12mm x 5mm - $30
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 95, mailed list posting Saturday, October 16, 2010 4:21 AM
List 95, mailed list posting Saturday, October 16, 2010 4:21 AM
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
..LIST 95
October 15, 2010
Dear Collectors,
Here is an electronic copy of my just mailed paper list. That should have been in the hands of every body on the mailing list by now, but I have only gotten calls from overseas and Hawaii (I send those out earlier in an attempt to have everyone everywhere get the thing at the same time). Something got goofed up this time. Probably delays and such from the holiday Monday (Columbus Day) that I had completely forgotten about. I decided to go ahead and send this out now (usually I wait until I start getting calls from a wide selection of regions) so that collectors in the main parts of the US will have a shot at some of this (I have already sold my 2 largest Gebel Kamil individuals and the smallest NWA (5782) complete slice). Many of you are on both the paper mailing list and this e-mailing one so I guess there is only a bit of "unfairness" in doing this now.
I finally pulled together this list from stuff I have had and stuff I picked up at the Denver show a couple weeks ago. I have been very busy with many things (some good some bad, unfortunately) so this is going out a bit later than I would have liked. This also means that the typical time frame that I usually see orders come in from one of these mailings will overlap with a couple out of town trips I have to make (leave a message if you do find you want to place an order during these dates, I will set aside samples for you and get back in touch with you when I get home). These are:
Denver: October 21st - 25th.: Not meteorite related, but if any of you in Denver really want me to bring some samples to look over, let me know.
Socorro, New Mexico Mineral Symposium. November 11th - 17th. This "show" I have been attending longer than any other. I think the first time I went was in 1985 (first set up and offered samples in 1986). This year the "informal tail-gating" (specimen sales) will be at the new Comfort Inn at the very North end of town (1259 Frontage Rd NW - West side of the interstate). I am supposed to be in room 119. I should be set up and open by about 5PM on Friday Nov 12th and open again about 6PM Saturday (generally open until 12 each night - this is a drink in hand, wander and look at specimens kind of thing - very relaxed and enjoyable). I will also likely be open much of Sunday as well - not putting things away until around 5PM or so that day.
GEBEL KAMIL, Egypt: Ni-rich ataxite (ungrouped). Found 2008. Tkw = about 1600kg.
A 45meter (148ft) diameter crater was discovered on Google Earth satellite photos in 2008. Field expeditions in February of 2010 confirmed that it was indeed a meteorite impact crater. Many shrapnel type fragments of Ni-rich (close to 20% nickel!) iron meteorites were found surrounding the crater. It is currently estimated that this fall occurred less than 5000 years ago. When I first saw some of this stuff (at the Denver spring show in April) I was quite suspicious. The external texture looked VERY much like how man-made materials weather (but then an iron of fairly uniform composition in a sand-blasting type environment probably should end up looking the same). But, the slices (that are obviously cut from shrapnel type fragments), clearly show schriebersite and other meteoritic minerals (and I now have some scientific reports on the stuff - something I did not have at all then). I have both nice complete shrapnel fragments (the large ones are really neat) and some really nice super thin slices that are etched (some on one side with the other side highly polished and some etched on both sides).
1) Complete shrapnel fragments as found:
a) 52.7 grams - 45mm x 30mm x 10mm - $70
b) 92.4 grams - 55mm x 30mm x 15mm - $115
c) 211.4 grams - 58mm x 40mm x 22mm - $250
d) 339.0 grams - 65mm x 60mm x 23mm - $390
e) 595.8 grams - 105mm x 65mm x 23mm - $640 - yes, this is available. It was a replacement for the 691g piece on the mailed list.
f) 908.1 grams - 120mm x 80mm x 30mm - sold
2) Complete slices, etched:
a) 26.5 grams - 70mm x 40mm x 1.5mm - $80
b) 39.5 grams - 80mm x 60mm x 1mm - $118
c) 57.5 grams - 90mm x 60mm x 1.5mm - $170
BENSOUR, Morocco/ Algeria: (LL6). Fell February 11, 2002. Tkw = 45+kg.
This is one of those "rumor of a fall" while we are at major shows (these are surprisingly common) that later turned out to be true (actual falls during or near Tucson and Denver show dates were the subject of this year's Tucson wine glass I made). I sold the last of this I had (at $7 to $8/g) some time ago and have not seen much of this meteorite since (aside from the bag of really small fragments I had earlier this summer that is). Luckily I picked up a nice bag of fresh material. These are the usual broken fragments that show a light gray, fine textured interior (and the occasional metal or troilite grain) with large patches of fresh black crust (covering roughly 30% or more of most of these pieces). Nice, affordable, pieces of an LL fall!
1) Fragments with crust as found:
a) 1.0 grams - 9mm x 8mm x 7mm - $7
b) 2.1 grams - 12mm x 11mm x 6mm - $14
c) 3.0 grams - 22mm x 8mm x 7mm - $20
d) 5.9 grams - 18mm x 17mm x 11mm - $38
e) 12.8 grams - 25mm x 18mm x 15mm - $80
NWA (5778): (H4). Found before September 2008. Tkw = 1560 grams.
This is yet another "thought it was something better" when I got it stones. The seller thought it was an H3 and, given the large number of chondrules it showed on the cut surface it had, it looked like one to me as well. Alas, it turned out to be an H4 (the science on this one is irrefutable - equilibrated olivine = type 4 or higher). This is quite weathered (no real visible), but yet it still has a pleasing light almost pinkish brown color with lots of chondrules clearly visible (many H's get so dark when oxidized that the chondrules get hidden - Dimmitt, TX is one example).
1) Slices:
a) 11.7 grams - 47mm x 22mm x 2mm - $10
b) 22.1 grams - 60mm x 30mm x 5mm - $18
c) 44.0 grams - 72mm x 45mm x 5mm - $35 - complete slice.
d) 71.1 grams - 103mm x 44mm x 6mm - $55 - complete slice.
2) End piece:
a) 336.9 grams - 100mm x 43mm x 45mm - $235 - Main Mass!
NWA (5779): (LL5), polymict breccia: Found before October 2008. Tkw = 815 grams.
This is a stone I wish I had much more of. I asked the source for more of this but was told "there is none", darn it. This is a fantastic LL breccia that has a light tan/ brown matrix and lots of angular to rounded fragments that are generally different shades of brown and gray to some that are weird swirled mixes of both (those are impact melt clasts, most likely). These fragments are of different compositions than the host rock - making this a "polymict" breccia. This does still show metal grains and troilite in proper amount for the type stone this is, so it is not weathered to any great degree either. A real interesting stone scientifically and great visually.
1) Slices:
a) 6.9 grams - 30mm x 20mm x 5mm - $30
b) 16.0 grams - 45mm x 30mm x 4mm - $68
c) 24.6 grams - 70mm x 50mm x 3mm - $105
d) 56.3 grams - 90mm x 65mm x 4mm - $225 - complete slice.
NWA (5782): Acapulcoite/Lodranite. Found Before September 2008. Tkw = 130 grams.
This was special enough to get special treatment in its reporting. I did not know that this one was "finished" until I saw a picture of it in the most recent Meteoritical Bulletin (a picture Blake took that the bulletin miss-labeled as having an inch scale for size when it was really centimeters). This is a breccia containing fragments of both acapulcoites of various compositions (making up 45% of this stone) and lodranites (also of variuos compositions and making up 25% of this stone) with a matrix composed of fine debris of both types. This is the only such thing known in the world. It has been called the "Rosetta Stone" of the acapulcoite/lodranite parent body. It is too bad that so little was recovered (and even that was by accident in a batch of L6 stones I picked up some time ago). After I got done sending pieces of all sizes all over for research work (that is still continuing on this thing for clues about its parent body) I was left with only about 41 grams to offer to collectors.
1) Slices:
a) .13 grams - 9mm x 5mm x 1mm - $50
b) .26 grams - 12mm x 6mm x 1mm - $100
c) .52 grams - 17mm x 9mm x 1mm - $200
d) .86 grams - 17mm x 15mm x 1mm - $325
e) 1.50 grams - 24mm x 21mm x 1mm - sold.
f) 2.93 grams - 33mm x 26mm x 1mm - $1070 - complete slice.
g) 4.98 grams - 37mm x 31mm x 1mm - $1800 - complete slice.
IRIDIUM: The element
Iridium is a very important to meteorite impact research element. Iridium is one of the very rarest metals in the Earth's crust (making up less than .001 parts per million on average). In meteorites, however, it is "relatively common" - making up around .5 parts per million. Large impacts bring a large dose of this element to the Earth's surface. This is then deposited into accumulating sediments in the area (smaller impacts) to all over the globe (as in the Chicxulub impact). Thus, an increased Iridium content in a rock layer tends to indicate that a large impact may have occurred at that time. These are fine crystals (maybe mm sized) that were vapor deposited during the process of making crystals for high power lasers. I have these in a capsule in a magnifier box in various sized lots (I, as an element collector would prefer a "mole" sized lot - but that is some 192 grams!).
1) Crystals in a capsule in a magnifier box:
a) .10grams - $10
b) .25grams - $15
c) .50 grams - $25
d) 1.0 grams - $40
LIGHTED LOUPE:
This is what most of us know as a hand lens. I bought one of these a year or so ago (for $20) and have used it almost exclusively ever since. These are 20X magnification and have a fairly large lens area (about 19mm diameter) and have a couple really bright L.E.D.s built into them to light what you are looking at - $15 each.
Please include postage: a couple dollars on small U.S. orders and $10 on large items for first class (insurance is extra, if desired). On small overseas orders, $3 to $5 is generally plenty (I'll have to custom figure the rate for large items). Registration is also recommended on more valuable overseas shipments - an extra $12.00.
If you are sending a fax, simply begin transmitting when my line is answered. My fax will turn on automatically to receive (or I will start it if I answer) when you begin transmitting.
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
..LIST 95
October 15, 2010
Dear Collectors,
Here is an electronic copy of my just mailed paper list. That should have been in the hands of every body on the mailing list by now, but I have only gotten calls from overseas and Hawaii (I send those out earlier in an attempt to have everyone everywhere get the thing at the same time). Something got goofed up this time. Probably delays and such from the holiday Monday (Columbus Day) that I had completely forgotten about. I decided to go ahead and send this out now (usually I wait until I start getting calls from a wide selection of regions) so that collectors in the main parts of the US will have a shot at some of this (I have already sold my 2 largest Gebel Kamil individuals and the smallest NWA (5782) complete slice). Many of you are on both the paper mailing list and this e-mailing one so I guess there is only a bit of "unfairness" in doing this now.
I finally pulled together this list from stuff I have had and stuff I picked up at the Denver show a couple weeks ago. I have been very busy with many things (some good some bad, unfortunately) so this is going out a bit later than I would have liked. This also means that the typical time frame that I usually see orders come in from one of these mailings will overlap with a couple out of town trips I have to make (leave a message if you do find you want to place an order during these dates, I will set aside samples for you and get back in touch with you when I get home). These are:
Denver: October 21st - 25th.: Not meteorite related, but if any of you in Denver really want me to bring some samples to look over, let me know.
Socorro, New Mexico Mineral Symposium. November 11th - 17th. This "show" I have been attending longer than any other. I think the first time I went was in 1985 (first set up and offered samples in 1986). This year the "informal tail-gating" (specimen sales) will be at the new Comfort Inn at the very North end of town (1259 Frontage Rd NW - West side of the interstate). I am supposed to be in room 119. I should be set up and open by about 5PM on Friday Nov 12th and open again about 6PM Saturday (generally open until 12 each night - this is a drink in hand, wander and look at specimens kind of thing - very relaxed and enjoyable). I will also likely be open much of Sunday as well - not putting things away until around 5PM or so that day.
GEBEL KAMIL, Egypt: Ni-rich ataxite (ungrouped). Found 2008. Tkw = about 1600kg.
A 45meter (148ft) diameter crater was discovered on Google Earth satellite photos in 2008. Field expeditions in February of 2010 confirmed that it was indeed a meteorite impact crater. Many shrapnel type fragments of Ni-rich (close to 20% nickel!) iron meteorites were found surrounding the crater. It is currently estimated that this fall occurred less than 5000 years ago. When I first saw some of this stuff (at the Denver spring show in April) I was quite suspicious. The external texture looked VERY much like how man-made materials weather (but then an iron of fairly uniform composition in a sand-blasting type environment probably should end up looking the same). But, the slices (that are obviously cut from shrapnel type fragments), clearly show schriebersite and other meteoritic minerals (and I now have some scientific reports on the stuff - something I did not have at all then). I have both nice complete shrapnel fragments (the large ones are really neat) and some really nice super thin slices that are etched (some on one side with the other side highly polished and some etched on both sides).
1) Complete shrapnel fragments as found:
a) 52.7 grams - 45mm x 30mm x 10mm - $70
b) 92.4 grams - 55mm x 30mm x 15mm - $115
c) 211.4 grams - 58mm x 40mm x 22mm - $250
d) 339.0 grams - 65mm x 60mm x 23mm - $390
e) 595.8 grams - 105mm x 65mm x 23mm - $640 - yes, this is available. It was a replacement for the 691g piece on the mailed list.
f) 908.1 grams - 120mm x 80mm x 30mm - sold
2) Complete slices, etched:
a) 26.5 grams - 70mm x 40mm x 1.5mm - $80
b) 39.5 grams - 80mm x 60mm x 1mm - $118
c) 57.5 grams - 90mm x 60mm x 1.5mm - $170
BENSOUR, Morocco/ Algeria: (LL6). Fell February 11, 2002. Tkw = 45+kg.
This is one of those "rumor of a fall" while we are at major shows (these are surprisingly common) that later turned out to be true (actual falls during or near Tucson and Denver show dates were the subject of this year's Tucson wine glass I made). I sold the last of this I had (at $7 to $8/g) some time ago and have not seen much of this meteorite since (aside from the bag of really small fragments I had earlier this summer that is). Luckily I picked up a nice bag of fresh material. These are the usual broken fragments that show a light gray, fine textured interior (and the occasional metal or troilite grain) with large patches of fresh black crust (covering roughly 30% or more of most of these pieces). Nice, affordable, pieces of an LL fall!
1) Fragments with crust as found:
a) 1.0 grams - 9mm x 8mm x 7mm - $7
b) 2.1 grams - 12mm x 11mm x 6mm - $14
c) 3.0 grams - 22mm x 8mm x 7mm - $20
d) 5.9 grams - 18mm x 17mm x 11mm - $38
e) 12.8 grams - 25mm x 18mm x 15mm - $80
NWA (5778): (H4). Found before September 2008. Tkw = 1560 grams.
This is yet another "thought it was something better" when I got it stones. The seller thought it was an H3 and, given the large number of chondrules it showed on the cut surface it had, it looked like one to me as well. Alas, it turned out to be an H4 (the science on this one is irrefutable - equilibrated olivine = type 4 or higher). This is quite weathered (no real visible), but yet it still has a pleasing light almost pinkish brown color with lots of chondrules clearly visible (many H's get so dark when oxidized that the chondrules get hidden - Dimmitt, TX is one example).
1) Slices:
a) 11.7 grams - 47mm x 22mm x 2mm - $10
b) 22.1 grams - 60mm x 30mm x 5mm - $18
c) 44.0 grams - 72mm x 45mm x 5mm - $35 - complete slice.
d) 71.1 grams - 103mm x 44mm x 6mm - $55 - complete slice.
2) End piece:
a) 336.9 grams - 100mm x 43mm x 45mm - $235 - Main Mass!
NWA (5779): (LL5), polymict breccia: Found before October 2008. Tkw = 815 grams.
This is a stone I wish I had much more of. I asked the source for more of this but was told "there is none", darn it. This is a fantastic LL breccia that has a light tan/ brown matrix and lots of angular to rounded fragments that are generally different shades of brown and gray to some that are weird swirled mixes of both (those are impact melt clasts, most likely). These fragments are of different compositions than the host rock - making this a "polymict" breccia. This does still show metal grains and troilite in proper amount for the type stone this is, so it is not weathered to any great degree either. A real interesting stone scientifically and great visually.
1) Slices:
a) 6.9 grams - 30mm x 20mm x 5mm - $30
b) 16.0 grams - 45mm x 30mm x 4mm - $68
c) 24.6 grams - 70mm x 50mm x 3mm - $105
d) 56.3 grams - 90mm x 65mm x 4mm - $225 - complete slice.
NWA (5782): Acapulcoite/Lodranite. Found Before September 2008. Tkw = 130 grams.
This was special enough to get special treatment in its reporting. I did not know that this one was "finished" until I saw a picture of it in the most recent Meteoritical Bulletin (a picture Blake took that the bulletin miss-labeled as having an inch scale for size when it was really centimeters). This is a breccia containing fragments of both acapulcoites of various compositions (making up 45% of this stone) and lodranites (also of variuos compositions and making up 25% of this stone) with a matrix composed of fine debris of both types. This is the only such thing known in the world. It has been called the "Rosetta Stone" of the acapulcoite/lodranite parent body. It is too bad that so little was recovered (and even that was by accident in a batch of L6 stones I picked up some time ago). After I got done sending pieces of all sizes all over for research work (that is still continuing on this thing for clues about its parent body) I was left with only about 41 grams to offer to collectors.
1) Slices:
a) .13 grams - 9mm x 5mm x 1mm - $50
b) .26 grams - 12mm x 6mm x 1mm - $100
c) .52 grams - 17mm x 9mm x 1mm - $200
d) .86 grams - 17mm x 15mm x 1mm - $325
e) 1.50 grams - 24mm x 21mm x 1mm - sold.
f) 2.93 grams - 33mm x 26mm x 1mm - $1070 - complete slice.
g) 4.98 grams - 37mm x 31mm x 1mm - $1800 - complete slice.
IRIDIUM: The element
Iridium is a very important to meteorite impact research element. Iridium is one of the very rarest metals in the Earth's crust (making up less than .001 parts per million on average). In meteorites, however, it is "relatively common" - making up around .5 parts per million. Large impacts bring a large dose of this element to the Earth's surface. This is then deposited into accumulating sediments in the area (smaller impacts) to all over the globe (as in the Chicxulub impact). Thus, an increased Iridium content in a rock layer tends to indicate that a large impact may have occurred at that time. These are fine crystals (maybe mm sized) that were vapor deposited during the process of making crystals for high power lasers. I have these in a capsule in a magnifier box in various sized lots (I, as an element collector would prefer a "mole" sized lot - but that is some 192 grams!).
1) Crystals in a capsule in a magnifier box:
a) .10grams - $10
b) .25grams - $15
c) .50 grams - $25
d) 1.0 grams - $40
LIGHTED LOUPE:
This is what most of us know as a hand lens. I bought one of these a year or so ago (for $20) and have used it almost exclusively ever since. These are 20X magnification and have a fairly large lens area (about 19mm diameter) and have a couple really bright L.E.D.s built into them to light what you are looking at - $15 each.
Please include postage: a couple dollars on small U.S. orders and $10 on large items for first class (insurance is extra, if desired). On small overseas orders, $3 to $5 is generally plenty (I'll have to custom figure the rate for large items). Registration is also recommended on more valuable overseas shipments - an extra $12.00.
If you are sending a fax, simply begin transmitting when my line is answered. My fax will turn on automatically to receive (or I will start it if I answer) when you begin transmitting.
Monday, 4 October 2010
-- List #94
List 94, some "after Denver" stuff
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 8:14 AM
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………..LIST 94
September 28, 2010
Dear Collectors,
Sorry this is going out so late. I have been very busy today (lots of calls, visitors and such). I have been working on this since 11AM this morning and wanted to be done by 1 or 2PM. Here it is after 5.
Most of these are things that were sent to me for the Denver show or things I picked up while there. I had a couple more boxes of things that were sent, but did not arrive in time to make it to the show with me as well (I still have not opened them). Those should make for the next offering or three. I am also desperately trying to get a mailed offering pulled together before too long (I usually would have the bulk of an after Denver paper listing ready to go and by now, but all of the difficulties health wise this summer left me waaay behind in cutting, polishing and cataloging stuff for such an offering). We have really nice weather now, so I am trying to get that caught up as well (but it will likely be a couple weeks before I have envelopes stuffed and sent).
ODESSA, Texas: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
This is a sample I got in a bucket of mixed irons I picked up this summer from a mineral dealer in California (he got them as part of a large mineral collection he bought). This one looked like it was simply about to rust into two pieces (along an almost perfectly straight and flat surface that I originally assumed was simply along one of the internal etch structure boundaries). I had considered simply cutting the last little bit of this break and polishing and etching the resulting two pieces to make two end pieces. I am glad I didn't. On closer inspection, I realized that this "rusting crack" is really a troilite or Schiebersite inclusion that has mostly broken out of this specimen (some of this is still visible in the narrow end of the split). Very interesting and unusual, but I am pricing this at the same as a more common Odessa specimen of this size.
1270 gram brushed individual - 125mm x 70mm x 30mm - $900
TAZWELL, TN: Finest octahedrite (IIICD). Found 1853. Tkw=27.2kg
Tazwell is the only finest ocathedrite I have ever seen and this is only the second sample I have ever had of it. I had this hiding in a "do something with later" stuff and forgot about it for many years (it came too me from Tom Palmer's collection). Actually, the "do something" was to trim the slightly larger specimen down into two pieces; one for my type set micro collection (I had goofed and accidently left my last specimen in with "extra" specimens from that collection that I was willing to part with and, of coarse, it sold immediately) and this one to sell. It has been decades since I got my first piece (and a good 7 or 8 years since I got this one) and it may be as long before another specimen of this turns up again.
10.8 gram etched part slice (50% crusted edge) - 20mm x 11mm x 6mm - $300
NWA (6135), (LL3.8). Found 2008. Tkw = 3.8kg.
Matt Morgan got this stone a couple years ago and cut a few pieces off of it. I picked up this fantastic slice from him a earlier this summer (I had a customer that wanted LL3 pieces, but it turned out that he wanted larger, preferably complete pieces individuals). This is not an individual, so it didn't meet the needs, but it is a complete slice. It has a great LL3 interior (lots of chondrules) and a few interesting inclusions. One (the one that caught my eye and got me to take this piece) is a 20mm x 25mm obvious LL5 fragment!.
121.5 gram complete slice - 110mm x 65mm x 6mm - $1100
ASH CREEK, (a.k.a. "West") Texas: (L6). Fell February 15, 2009. Tkw = 11.7kg.
I remember that I was still visiting friends in Phoenix after the Tucson show when this fell. I was unloading my car back at home when the first recovered pieces started turning up. I really wanted to go and look for some of this one (it looked like enough pieces were being found that there was a real chance of not getting skunked on a hunt here - not so with the recent Wisconsin fall). Unfortunately, I had a good 3 weeks of work, bills, etc waiting to be immediately dealt with after being gone so long for the show. These are both beautiful complete, black crusted individuals (the smaller has some hint of dark brown coloration that could be very light oxide - it did rain quite a bit the days after this fell). .
a) 17.9 gram complete individual - 27mm x 20mm x 15mm - $985
b) 27.0 gram complete individual - 32mm x 25mm x 21mm - $1485
TUXTUAC, Mexico: (LL5). Fell October 16, 1975. Tkw = 29.25kg.
This is one of the usual crust free pieces. Much of this meteorite was broken apart by the locals that found it as they thought that there must gold or gems hiding inside it as the price offered for it was really high for just an "ugly rock", even if it did fall from space. Robert Haag had the bulk of this stuff years ago, but it is now fairly scarce stuff (and quite under priced for an LL fall in my opinion).
28.7 gram cut fragment - 48mm x 24mm x 20mm - $150
ALLENDE, Mexico: carbonaceous chondrite (CV3.2). Fell February 8, 1969.
This is beautiful super thin slice cut by wire saw. This is a particularly nice piece of Allende it has nice chondrules (not quite as many as the NWA 3118 below, but very nice for Allende) and has a nice 10mm x 1.5mm CAI. I had a bunch of pieces like this at the show and sold all of them rapidly (this one would have sold, but it was mistakenly mixed in with the NWA (3118) pieces that I had extras of so I did not know I had this).
32mm x 23mm thin slice in mylar box - $40
NWA (801), carbonaceous chondrite (CR2)
Here is a really nice LARGE (for this stuff) slice that I wouldn't mind keeping for myself (I am making working on a deal to get one for myself a bit later though). This is a complete slice that was cut with a wire saw, but not polished so it does show some horizontal cut marks. The owner of this did polish down a slice that they kept for their collection and decided that it was best to leave this unpolished (sanding tends to darken the material and you loose a fair amount of the chondrule structure and metal in this material). I did just discover though that he coated the back side with some kind of lacquer, and did a pretty poor job of it unfortunately (though it does really bring out the chondrules really well). This is in a riker mount box so this is the first I have seen the back side of this piece. It is too thin to risk trying to sand and re-coat so I am going to offer it as it is at a price a bit below what I had on it at the show.
35.0 gram complete slice - 135mm x 70mm x 1mm - $875
NWA (3118), carbonaceous chondrite (CV3). Found 2003. Tkw = 5895grams.
This, to me, looks the same as NWA (2086), which is on of my favorite meteorites (why oh why didn't I keep more of that 33kg lot I sold off back in 2003 and 2004?). This is loaded with chondrules. Some Allende looks like this stuff, but most is positively uninteresting compared to this material. These are more of the super thin cut wire-sawed samples I got on consignment just before leaving for the show. The small specimens are so thin that I am not going to risk trying to take them out of their mylar boxes to weigh them or try to guestimate their thickness.
a) 16mm x 11mm slice in mylar display box - $15
b) 20mm x 17mm slice in mylar box - $20
c) 28mm x 20mm slice in mylar box - $35
d) 3.0g - 65mm x 58mm slice in riker mount box - $75
LAFAYETTE, Indiana: (Nakhlite) Mars Rock. Found before 1930. Tkw = 800g.
This is the important mars rock that also was about the most perfect oriented meteorite. There is very little of this available (it was cut, but, thankfully, not completely cut up so it is still a pretty impressive display piece for showing classic orientation). This is "just" a small (about 2mm x 1mm) crumb (not many larger pieces of this are available, so most of us have to settle for a crumb if we are going to own any of this one). It comes in a neat Riker display that has a picture of the remaining oriented mass and a picture of Mars.
2mm x 1mm fragment in riker box display - $75
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 8:14 AM
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………..LIST 94
September 28, 2010
Dear Collectors,
Sorry this is going out so late. I have been very busy today (lots of calls, visitors and such). I have been working on this since 11AM this morning and wanted to be done by 1 or 2PM. Here it is after 5.
Most of these are things that were sent to me for the Denver show or things I picked up while there. I had a couple more boxes of things that were sent, but did not arrive in time to make it to the show with me as well (I still have not opened them). Those should make for the next offering or three. I am also desperately trying to get a mailed offering pulled together before too long (I usually would have the bulk of an after Denver paper listing ready to go and by now, but all of the difficulties health wise this summer left me waaay behind in cutting, polishing and cataloging stuff for such an offering). We have really nice weather now, so I am trying to get that caught up as well (but it will likely be a couple weeks before I have envelopes stuffed and sent).
ODESSA, Texas: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
This is a sample I got in a bucket of mixed irons I picked up this summer from a mineral dealer in California (he got them as part of a large mineral collection he bought). This one looked like it was simply about to rust into two pieces (along an almost perfectly straight and flat surface that I originally assumed was simply along one of the internal etch structure boundaries). I had considered simply cutting the last little bit of this break and polishing and etching the resulting two pieces to make two end pieces. I am glad I didn't. On closer inspection, I realized that this "rusting crack" is really a troilite or Schiebersite inclusion that has mostly broken out of this specimen (some of this is still visible in the narrow end of the split). Very interesting and unusual, but I am pricing this at the same as a more common Odessa specimen of this size.
1270 gram brushed individual - 125mm x 70mm x 30mm - $900
TAZWELL, TN: Finest octahedrite (IIICD). Found 1853. Tkw=27.2kg
Tazwell is the only finest ocathedrite I have ever seen and this is only the second sample I have ever had of it. I had this hiding in a "do something with later" stuff and forgot about it for many years (it came too me from Tom Palmer's collection). Actually, the "do something" was to trim the slightly larger specimen down into two pieces; one for my type set micro collection (I had goofed and accidently left my last specimen in with "extra" specimens from that collection that I was willing to part with and, of coarse, it sold immediately) and this one to sell. It has been decades since I got my first piece (and a good 7 or 8 years since I got this one) and it may be as long before another specimen of this turns up again.
10.8 gram etched part slice (50% crusted edge) - 20mm x 11mm x 6mm - $300
NWA (6135), (LL3.8). Found 2008. Tkw = 3.8kg.
Matt Morgan got this stone a couple years ago and cut a few pieces off of it. I picked up this fantastic slice from him a earlier this summer (I had a customer that wanted LL3 pieces, but it turned out that he wanted larger, preferably complete pieces individuals). This is not an individual, so it didn't meet the needs, but it is a complete slice. It has a great LL3 interior (lots of chondrules) and a few interesting inclusions. One (the one that caught my eye and got me to take this piece) is a 20mm x 25mm obvious LL5 fragment!.
121.5 gram complete slice - 110mm x 65mm x 6mm - $1100
ASH CREEK, (a.k.a. "West") Texas: (L6). Fell February 15, 2009. Tkw = 11.7kg.
I remember that I was still visiting friends in Phoenix after the Tucson show when this fell. I was unloading my car back at home when the first recovered pieces started turning up. I really wanted to go and look for some of this one (it looked like enough pieces were being found that there was a real chance of not getting skunked on a hunt here - not so with the recent Wisconsin fall). Unfortunately, I had a good 3 weeks of work, bills, etc waiting to be immediately dealt with after being gone so long for the show. These are both beautiful complete, black crusted individuals (the smaller has some hint of dark brown coloration that could be very light oxide - it did rain quite a bit the days after this fell). .
a) 17.9 gram complete individual - 27mm x 20mm x 15mm - $985
b) 27.0 gram complete individual - 32mm x 25mm x 21mm - $1485
TUXTUAC, Mexico: (LL5). Fell October 16, 1975. Tkw = 29.25kg.
This is one of the usual crust free pieces. Much of this meteorite was broken apart by the locals that found it as they thought that there must gold or gems hiding inside it as the price offered for it was really high for just an "ugly rock", even if it did fall from space. Robert Haag had the bulk of this stuff years ago, but it is now fairly scarce stuff (and quite under priced for an LL fall in my opinion).
28.7 gram cut fragment - 48mm x 24mm x 20mm - $150
ALLENDE, Mexico: carbonaceous chondrite (CV3.2). Fell February 8, 1969.
This is beautiful super thin slice cut by wire saw. This is a particularly nice piece of Allende it has nice chondrules (not quite as many as the NWA 3118 below, but very nice for Allende) and has a nice 10mm x 1.5mm CAI. I had a bunch of pieces like this at the show and sold all of them rapidly (this one would have sold, but it was mistakenly mixed in with the NWA (3118) pieces that I had extras of so I did not know I had this).
32mm x 23mm thin slice in mylar box - $40
NWA (801), carbonaceous chondrite (CR2)
Here is a really nice LARGE (for this stuff) slice that I wouldn't mind keeping for myself (I am making working on a deal to get one for myself a bit later though). This is a complete slice that was cut with a wire saw, but not polished so it does show some horizontal cut marks. The owner of this did polish down a slice that they kept for their collection and decided that it was best to leave this unpolished (sanding tends to darken the material and you loose a fair amount of the chondrule structure and metal in this material). I did just discover though that he coated the back side with some kind of lacquer, and did a pretty poor job of it unfortunately (though it does really bring out the chondrules really well). This is in a riker mount box so this is the first I have seen the back side of this piece. It is too thin to risk trying to sand and re-coat so I am going to offer it as it is at a price a bit below what I had on it at the show.
35.0 gram complete slice - 135mm x 70mm x 1mm - $875
NWA (3118), carbonaceous chondrite (CV3). Found 2003. Tkw = 5895grams.
This, to me, looks the same as NWA (2086), which is on of my favorite meteorites (why oh why didn't I keep more of that 33kg lot I sold off back in 2003 and 2004?). This is loaded with chondrules. Some Allende looks like this stuff, but most is positively uninteresting compared to this material. These are more of the super thin cut wire-sawed samples I got on consignment just before leaving for the show. The small specimens are so thin that I am not going to risk trying to take them out of their mylar boxes to weigh them or try to guestimate their thickness.
a) 16mm x 11mm slice in mylar display box - $15
b) 20mm x 17mm slice in mylar box - $20
c) 28mm x 20mm slice in mylar box - $35
d) 3.0g - 65mm x 58mm slice in riker mount box - $75
LAFAYETTE, Indiana: (Nakhlite) Mars Rock. Found before 1930. Tkw = 800g.
This is the important mars rock that also was about the most perfect oriented meteorite. There is very little of this available (it was cut, but, thankfully, not completely cut up so it is still a pretty impressive display piece for showing classic orientation). This is "just" a small (about 2mm x 1mm) crumb (not many larger pieces of this are available, so most of us have to settle for a crumb if we are going to own any of this one). It comes in a neat Riker display that has a picture of the remaining oriented mass and a picture of Mars.
2mm x 1mm fragment in riker box display - $75
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Blaine Reed Meteorites - Denver Show info
Denver Show info
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-1487
Dear Collectors,
Unfortunately I got to busy and too far behind to pull together an offering (that should have gone out yesterday no less). I did manage to finally pull together all of the paper-work, approvals and everything to get my solar electric system up and running (which is currently producing nearly 3 times my current electric use - at least when the sun is shinning), so I guess that means this is my first "all solar powered" listing. It is nice to have at least one major project completed this challenging summer (several await my attention later, unfortunately. I guess that means I won't be bored this fall).
I am attempting to get prepared for the Denver show now (I leave Saturday afternoon to visit a friend that evening and Sunday). I am probably the most unprepared I have ever been by this short of time before leaving (and I have been doing this show for nearly 25 years now - I don't know for certain if it is this year or next that will be my 25 year anniversary - I'll look it up later). Things may seem a bit less organized in my room for awhile this year, so have a bit of patience if it takes me a little extra time to set up and get my door open (I usually like to open by about 10 or 11AM Tuesday morning, but my need until 12 or 1PM this time, but I will really try to open by 11AM).
Here is the important info:
For those visiting the show:
I will be in my usual location - Room 224 of the Holiday Inn - Denver Central (yep, they changed their name recently). This is at 4849 Bannock St for those of you with address location finding GPS units. It is relatively easy to find for those of you navigating otherwise; it is near the intersection of the two interstate highways that cross Colorado - I-25 and I-70. The easiest method for most would be to take the 58th street exit off of I-25. Go West to 58th's dead end on Bannock. Head South (left turn) and the Holiday Inn will be down a bout a mile on the right (parking close by can be difficult though).
I will be open (as mentioned above) from about 12 noon (hopefully a bit earlier) Tuesday morning (the 14th) through 5pm or so on Sunday (the 19th). I will be open the rest of the show at 10AM and should be open until about 10pm each night (though there is a chance I may take a break and close on Friday at around 7pm to attend the COMETS auction and social gathering - free good micro-brew beer and good fun).
For those of you not coming:
I will be gone from September 11th until the 22nd. We do have a tenuous inter-net connection at the show (funny, I have the same problem in Tucson). So, while it is possible for me to get e-mail (theoretically anyway), the reality is I rarely get to check it (either too busy or connection won't work long enough to complete a response). So, if you are not overseas, the best method to reach me if you really need to during the show is to simply call. The hotel phone number is (303) 292-9500. Ask for room 224 as it seems that the front desk often has no clue of my existence if you simply ask for me by name.
Anybody coming to the show that is looking for specific items, please try and let me know soon so I can be sure to pack such things to bring with me. Same thing goes for those of you that want me to look for items for you while I am at the show.
Hope to see some of you there!
Blaine
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 93 25AUG2010
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………….. Meteorite LIST 93
August 25, 2010
Dear Collectors,
I am finally getting a bit better. Not fully recovered (still quite weak, and tire out too easily in my opinion yet) but much better (and well past the contagious stage). I am slowly trying to get caught up and back in the groove. But have patience with me if I end up not being able to jump right on things just yet.
I would have had this offering out yesterday, but I got tied up with a rather difficult (and a but frightening) electrical inspection (I was able to do the very light work of finishing the solar panel wiring while stuck in quarantine here at home). I was warned that the local inspector was a real tough one (he only passes about 10% of the jobs the first visit). I had a few minor things that he wanted changed (and, thankfully, he was willing to let me change them as he watched), BUT he wanted to fail me on the inverter - the really expensive thing that changes the DC from the panels into the AC that the house uses. We live in such an extreme area that the temperatures do occasionally go both above and below the inverter's rated operation range (-25C to 40C). Technically, this is a "fail" for the job. The solution, in his opinion, is to buy a different inverter - a $4000 problem. A bit of discussion and pointing out that it does not reach either extreme all that often (quite a bit more often on the hot end than the cold though) and that the inverter will safely self shut down if either extreme is reached. I got off with a pass but a note that the inverter may eventually have to be replaced if we commonly start hitting those extremes (God, I certainly hope not - it is already plenty hot in the summer and cold in the winter here for me). So, once the electric company changes out the meter, I can start it all up and start operating on my "free" electricity.
These items are a few miscellaneous things and last of an item things I have had sitting around for a good part of the summer now. I hope to have another offering or two before the Denver show (time to try and make up a bit for the 3 shows I lost this summer), but I am not certain that will happen. But, if I do have more things to offer, those lists may (as this one) be a bit skewed from the proper timing (but I will try to stay as close as possible).
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB)>
This is a really nice complete shale-ball. Usually the shale from this meteorite is seen as isolated flakes and angular fragments. This is a nice flattened egg shape (roughly) intact (aside from a few small edge chips) individual.
138.0 gram complete shale ball - 55mm x 40mm x 27mm - $60
SIKHOTE-ALIN, Russia. Coarsest octahedrite (IIAB). Fell February 12, 1947.
Here are a couple special pieces I have had set aside for awhile. One is a shrapnel fragment that has a very interesting set of holes (more like two holes connected to a fairly large central cavern). The other piece is what some call a "half breed". It is mostly a long, really interesting shaped shrapnel fragment but the fatter end of this has a patch (about 50mm x 25mm) of obvious crust and thumb printing. I have only had a few such pieces over the years (and they all have sold quickly).
a) 94.8 gram shrapnel fragment with holes - 45mm x 30mm x 25mm - $90
b) 429.1 gram crusted/ shrapnel "half breed" - 105mm x 40mm x 25mm - $300
BENSOUR, Morocco: (LL6). Fell February 10, 2002. Tkw = 45+kg.
This is a nice little E-Bay or micro-mount lot. These are a bunch of small (generally 2 to 5mm or so) fragments. They are very fresh and most have a good coverage of black crust (many are actually small half stones). I am willing to "part out" this lot if I do not find a home for it intact, so let me know if you really only need 10 or 20g or such.
75gram lot of small (mostly crusted) fragments - $250
GAO, Burkina-Faso: (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.
This is a small slice that was obviously picked up right after it fell. It is likely from a museum trade (unfortunately, I cannot recall where I picked it up from). Its interior is very fresh. It is mostly very light gray (but shows some faint brown spots) and lots of metal. It also has a couple nice patches of black crust along its edges.
5.3 gram fresh slice - 29mm x 11mm x 6mm - $25
HOLBROOK, Arizona: (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a nice complete stone. It looks to be a fairly old recovery as it is still black and has only a few tiny hint of rust spotting. This is a complete individual. The tag on its box says "95% fusion crust" but in reality it is more like 99% (it has a couple tiny chips in the crust), as the 5% section the previous owner was looking at as not crust is really a late break and is completely covered in a thin secondary crust. Nice piece and priced well considering the prices I have seen on recently recovered specimens these days ( $30/g for fragments to $50/gram for complete stones is what they were asking for the things in Tucson this year).
6.5 gram complete individual - 22mm x 15mm x 12mm - $130
LEEDEY, Oklahoma: (L6). Fell November 25, 1943.Tkw = 51.5kg.
This is a really nice fresh part slice (one cut edge). It has great crust along more than 50% of its edges that displays really well (one crusted edge is gently sloped so you get a lot of crust display surface along that edge).
14.1 gram crusted part slice - 30mm x 25mm x 6mm - $100
NWA (1930): (LL3). Found 2003. Tkw = 7.5kg.
This is the last piece of this I have. It is a nice end piece that shows lots of chondrules (wonder why this one never got the 3 subtype). This is a bit weathered (only a W2 though and really solid - no cracks) so there is some brown staining that hides the chondrules a bit along part of the outer edge of the polished face.
29.5 gram end piece - 30mm x 25mm x 22mm - $150
NWA (5425): (H4). Found May 2006. Tkw = 995grams.
This is a basic, low shock level (S1) H-chondrite. It still shows a good amount of porosity (this gets crushed out at higher shock levels) and shows plenty of chondrules in a medium gray/brown matrix. My last piece of this!
28.3 gram cut fragment - 32mm x 28mm x 11mm - $20
PONY CREEK, Texas: (H4). Found 1947. Tkw = 4642 grams.
A little bit of this was cut from the main mass and released by TCU awhile ago (and no more will be cut). It is quite nice stuff : lots of metal in a dark gray/green matrix. This is my last piece.
37.6 gram slice - 53mm x 40mm x 6mm - $120
NWA (6136): carbonaceous chondrite (CO3). Found 2008. Tkw = 4670 grams.
Here is a large display worthy end piece (it even sits nice naturally) at a price equal to or less than what a typical raw (unstudied) CO3 specimen would likely cost direct from Morocco. I actually have the other side of this stone (it is my "CO type" display specimen) as well as some slices that need prep work before I make them available later (at a substantially more realistic price - this big chunk is kind of a "summer", or make up for a difficult summer, special for the time being). Its interior is the typical fairly dark mixed brown and gray matrix and shows lots of really small chondrules (I will be trying to get this thin sub-typed to see just what level of 3 it is). There are also a roughly 25mm x 11m m area that looks like it might be an impact melt zone.
535.8 gram end piece - 100mm x 75mm x 40mm - $2100
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax: (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………….. Meteorite LIST 93
August 25, 2010
Dear Collectors,
I am finally getting a bit better. Not fully recovered (still quite weak, and tire out too easily in my opinion yet) but much better (and well past the contagious stage). I am slowly trying to get caught up and back in the groove. But have patience with me if I end up not being able to jump right on things just yet.
I would have had this offering out yesterday, but I got tied up with a rather difficult (and a but frightening) electrical inspection (I was able to do the very light work of finishing the solar panel wiring while stuck in quarantine here at home). I was warned that the local inspector was a real tough one (he only passes about 10% of the jobs the first visit). I had a few minor things that he wanted changed (and, thankfully, he was willing to let me change them as he watched), BUT he wanted to fail me on the inverter - the really expensive thing that changes the DC from the panels into the AC that the house uses. We live in such an extreme area that the temperatures do occasionally go both above and below the inverter's rated operation range (-25C to 40C). Technically, this is a "fail" for the job. The solution, in his opinion, is to buy a different inverter - a $4000 problem. A bit of discussion and pointing out that it does not reach either extreme all that often (quite a bit more often on the hot end than the cold though) and that the inverter will safely self shut down if either extreme is reached. I got off with a pass but a note that the inverter may eventually have to be replaced if we commonly start hitting those extremes (God, I certainly hope not - it is already plenty hot in the summer and cold in the winter here for me). So, once the electric company changes out the meter, I can start it all up and start operating on my "free" electricity.
These items are a few miscellaneous things and last of an item things I have had sitting around for a good part of the summer now. I hope to have another offering or two before the Denver show (time to try and make up a bit for the 3 shows I lost this summer), but I am not certain that will happen. But, if I do have more things to offer, those lists may (as this one) be a bit skewed from the proper timing (but I will try to stay as close as possible).
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB)>
This is a really nice complete shale-ball. Usually the shale from this meteorite is seen as isolated flakes and angular fragments. This is a nice flattened egg shape (roughly) intact (aside from a few small edge chips) individual.
138.0 gram complete shale ball - 55mm x 40mm x 27mm - $60
SIKHOTE-ALIN, Russia. Coarsest octahedrite (IIAB). Fell February 12, 1947.
Here are a couple special pieces I have had set aside for awhile. One is a shrapnel fragment that has a very interesting set of holes (more like two holes connected to a fairly large central cavern). The other piece is what some call a "half breed". It is mostly a long, really interesting shaped shrapnel fragment but the fatter end of this has a patch (about 50mm x 25mm) of obvious crust and thumb printing. I have only had a few such pieces over the years (and they all have sold quickly).
a) 94.8 gram shrapnel fragment with holes - 45mm x 30mm x 25mm - $90
b) 429.1 gram crusted/ shrapnel "half breed" - 105mm x 40mm x 25mm - $300
BENSOUR, Morocco: (LL6). Fell February 10, 2002. Tkw = 45+kg.
This is a nice little E-Bay or micro-mount lot. These are a bunch of small (generally 2 to 5mm or so) fragments. They are very fresh and most have a good coverage of black crust (many are actually small half stones). I am willing to "part out" this lot if I do not find a home for it intact, so let me know if you really only need 10 or 20g or such.
75gram lot of small (mostly crusted) fragments - $250
GAO, Burkina-Faso: (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.
This is a small slice that was obviously picked up right after it fell. It is likely from a museum trade (unfortunately, I cannot recall where I picked it up from). Its interior is very fresh. It is mostly very light gray (but shows some faint brown spots) and lots of metal. It also has a couple nice patches of black crust along its edges.
5.3 gram fresh slice - 29mm x 11mm x 6mm - $25
HOLBROOK, Arizona: (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a nice complete stone. It looks to be a fairly old recovery as it is still black and has only a few tiny hint of rust spotting. This is a complete individual. The tag on its box says "95% fusion crust" but in reality it is more like 99% (it has a couple tiny chips in the crust), as the 5% section the previous owner was looking at as not crust is really a late break and is completely covered in a thin secondary crust. Nice piece and priced well considering the prices I have seen on recently recovered specimens these days ( $30/g for fragments to $50/gram for complete stones is what they were asking for the things in Tucson this year).
6.5 gram complete individual - 22mm x 15mm x 12mm - $130
LEEDEY, Oklahoma: (L6). Fell November 25, 1943.Tkw = 51.5kg.
This is a really nice fresh part slice (one cut edge). It has great crust along more than 50% of its edges that displays really well (one crusted edge is gently sloped so you get a lot of crust display surface along that edge).
14.1 gram crusted part slice - 30mm x 25mm x 6mm - $100
NWA (1930): (LL3). Found 2003. Tkw = 7.5kg.
This is the last piece of this I have. It is a nice end piece that shows lots of chondrules (wonder why this one never got the 3 subtype). This is a bit weathered (only a W2 though and really solid - no cracks) so there is some brown staining that hides the chondrules a bit along part of the outer edge of the polished face.
29.5 gram end piece - 30mm x 25mm x 22mm - $150
NWA (5425): (H4). Found May 2006. Tkw = 995grams.
This is a basic, low shock level (S1) H-chondrite. It still shows a good amount of porosity (this gets crushed out at higher shock levels) and shows plenty of chondrules in a medium gray/brown matrix. My last piece of this!
28.3 gram cut fragment - 32mm x 28mm x 11mm - $20
PONY CREEK, Texas: (H4). Found 1947. Tkw = 4642 grams.
A little bit of this was cut from the main mass and released by TCU awhile ago (and no more will be cut). It is quite nice stuff : lots of metal in a dark gray/green matrix. This is my last piece.
37.6 gram slice - 53mm x 40mm x 6mm - $120
NWA (6136): carbonaceous chondrite (CO3). Found 2008. Tkw = 4670 grams.
Here is a large display worthy end piece (it even sits nice naturally) at a price equal to or less than what a typical raw (unstudied) CO3 specimen would likely cost direct from Morocco. I actually have the other side of this stone (it is my "CO type" display specimen) as well as some slices that need prep work before I make them available later (at a substantially more realistic price - this big chunk is kind of a "summer", or make up for a difficult summer, special for the time being). Its interior is the typical fairly dark mixed brown and gray matrix and shows lots of really small chondrules (I will be trying to get this thin sub-typed to see just what level of 3 it is). There are also a roughly 25mm x 11m m area that looks like it might be an impact melt zone.
535.8 gram end piece - 100mm x 75mm x 40mm - $2100
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