Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………LIST 116
January 2012
Dear Collectors,
Happy New Year! Here is the e-mail version of my "what's new" mailed list. Do make note of the "gone" dates below and try to contact me before January 20th if you want anything here (this will allow for packing/ shipping time and such).
Show info: I will be gone from home from about January 25th until about February 15th. I will be at my usual show location: Ramada Limited, room 134. This is at St Marys and the interstate (next to Denny's) - just 1/4 mile or so due West of Inn Suites (Now called Hotel Tucson City Center - where many of the other meteorite dealers are). My room is about mid-way down the length of the motel (right next to the walk through actually) on the west- side of the building (on the parking lot side - and there is often parking available right in front of my room). I should be open the afternoon of January 28th through the afternoon of February 11th. I will be open every day in between - generally from 10AM until - ? (usually at least 7pm if I am going out to eat and often until 10pm or so other nights).
APACHE JUNCTION, Arizona: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found before 2005. Tkw = 25 kilograms.
I just got a few (5) pieces of this really nice new meteorite. It was purchased by Dr.Carelton Moore from a seller who claimed to have found it near the intersection of McKellips Rd and Ironwood Dr in the city of Apache Junction years earlier. Dr Moore ended up purchasing this iron, despite having the fear that it might really be a "transported" Canyon Diablo. Later cutting and etching revealed a vibrant medium octahedrite structure and quickly removed all doubt concerning its new find status. The main mass is bound for the ASU collection at this point and only 2 more pieces are available to me beyond these listed (so don't wait if you want a piece of this).
1) Etched slices:
a) 19.3 grams - 33mm x 18mm x 4mm - $135
b) 53.5 grams - 65mm x 22mm x 4mm - $360
c) 102.7 grams - 100mm x 64mm x 3mm - $650 – complete slice with 10mm+ natural hole.
d) 208.9 grams - 120mm x 80mm x 4mm - $1200 – complete slice.
GOLD BASIN, Arizona: (L4). Found November 1995. Tkw = 127+ kilograms.
This is the famous material that was often (in the early days) found perched next to shallow holes where a gold prospector left it as a "hot rock" in disappointment that it was not a gold nugget. These pieces came from a rare large piece of this meteorite. I only learned after I cut it up that this was quite unusual for its size. I guess this means though, that now collectors have the chance to own an unusually large slice of this famous meteorite. These pieces are quite fresh and show a good number of sometimes large chondrules in a light tan to brown matrix (I sent off a piece for a quick micro-probe check to be sure that this was not Arizona's first LL5, as this does look quite similar to Tuxtuac in many respects).
1) Slices:
a) 6.1 grams - 30mm x 15mm x 4mm - $10
b) 11.8 grams - 35mm x 30mm x 4mm - $18
c) 25.8 grams - 40mm x 40mm x 4mm - $39
d) 54.7 grams - 70mm x 67mm x 4mm - $80
e) 126.0 grams - 100mm x 70mm x 5mm - $190 - nice complete slice.
2) End piece:
a) 260.4 grams - 100mm x 60mm x 16mm - $325
NWA (6579): L, melt rock. Found before July 2005. Tkw = 95 grams.
This is a really nice little slaggy looking rock I bought years ago. I sent some off to Cascadia Meteorite lab, as they were doing work on melt rocks of all sorts at the time and then completely forgot I (or they) had the thing. They kindly let me know recently that the thing was more than done and was fully reported. This has the classic melt rock look – rounded metal grains (many with dendritic inter growths of troilite) in a jade green matrix. This is quite fresh, weathering grade of W2. Obviously, I have VERY little of this material available (60grams perhaps).
1) Slices:
a) .47 grams - 9mm x 8mm x 2mm - $9
b) .80 grams - 12mm x 10mm x 3mm - $14
c) 1.2 grams - 15mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $21
d) 2.5 grams - 19mm x 10mm x 3mm - $45
e) 5.5 grams - 30mm x 25mm x 2mm - $95
2) End pieces:
a) 11.3 grams - 30mm x 21mm x 8mm - $175
b) 16.3 grams - 30mm x 25mm x 11mm - $250 – main mass.
NWA (7044): Ordinary chondrite (H6). Found before September 2011. Tkw = 1443.4 grams.
This had a small broken corner that showed a very crystalline texture to it (reminding me of a "primitive achondrite"). This was not cheap, but the chance that this something interesting tied with the fact that is pretty much perfectly oriented led me to buying the piece. When I shaved off a slice, it showed a fair amount of really fine metal grains and looked virtually identical to a small piece of a weathered EL6 I had (Yilmia, Australia). I rushed the sample off to get it looked at and the initial reaction was that this was indeed an EL chondrite. Unfortunately, the full work-up showed it to be an H. Thankfully I did not start cutting this up (slices of a W2 enstatite chondrite would be very good for me right now). Anyway, this has been left as a nice shield-shaped oriented individual.
1411.5 gram oriented individual – 125mm x 100mm x 55mm - $1500.00
NWA (7015): Ordinary chondrite (LL4). Found before September 2011. Tkw = 888 grams.
This is a meteorite that I found as two crusted pieces that fit together (to form one large meteorite) in a box of NWA (869). Thanks to Matt, I was able to get this looked at in record time! This, despite its outward appearance (and very low magnetic attraction) of a howardite, turned out to be "just" an LL4. These are actually a bit rarer than LL3s! This is quite fresh, by far the freshest LL4 I have had. The smaller pieces are very light gray in color (nearly white) and the 2 large slices/ end pieces have around 50% or so of the face showing very light orange coloring.
1) Slices:
a) 3.7 grams - 22mm x 12mm x 4mm - $26
b) 5.6 grams - 25mm x 20mm x 4mm - $39
c) 12.3 grams - 40mm x 26mm x 5mm - $85
d) 23.2 grams - 55mm x 53mm x 3mm - $150
e) 59.3 grams - 60mm x 55mm x 3mm - $350 – complete slice.
2) End pieces:
a) 96.8 grams - 60mm x 45mm x 20mm - $530 – around 25% light orange.
b) 138.9 grams - 57mm x 55mm x 20mm - $700 – main mass, nice crust covering back.
MOAPA VALLEY, Nevada: Carbonaceous chondrite (CM1). Found September 2004, Tkw = 698.8 grams.
This may be the rarest, by type, meteorite I have ever offered. There is only around 850 grams of CM1 material currently known in the world (and of that, only one other from outside of Antarctica – the 19gram NWA (4765)). This is like the more famous CM2 material (Murchison probably being the most famous example), but had MUCH more water flow through it on its parent body. This looks pretty much like dark (nearly black) carbon (charcoal brickette like) on fresh cut or broken surfaces. All of the minerals in this have been altered to secondary phases and there are no chondrules present (just some rounded serpentine and sulfur rich inclusions). I have only 7 grams of this and there are no remaining pieces available to me. If the 4g I had offered on an e-mail offering a couple years ago is any guide, this won't last long, so contact me quickly if you want some of this stuff.
1) Fragments/ cut fragments: all in membrane boxes.
a) .072 grams - 5mm x 3mm x 2mm - $70
b) .132 grams - 7mm x 5mm x 3mm - $125
c) .226 grams - 6mm x 5mm x 4mm - $210 – cut fragment.
d) .410 grams – 13mm x 9mm x 3mm - $370
e) .81 grams - 10mm x 8mm x 6mm - $700
f) 1.21 grams - 15mm x 12mm x 5mm - $1030 – small area of crust.
g) 1.72 grams - 16mm x 11mm x 7mm - $1450 – end piece, nice crust on one edge.
BLUE SALT, Carlsbad, New Mexico.
I picked up some samples of this while at the Socorro Mineral Symposium and though that some collectors might like a piece as similar blue salt crystals have been found in some H-chondrites (Zag and Monahans (1998)). These crystals that were found in these meteorites show that water flowed through parts of even the H parent body (where as it was considered to be that water was likely present on only a few carbonaceous parent bodies). Like the Halite (sodium chloride – NaCl) in the meteorites, this halite has turned violet/blue from radiation damage. Radiation causes crystal lattice distortions and the release of sodium metal in the structure. This causes all but the blue and violet wavelengths of light to be absorbed (turning the salt violet and blue in color). The salt in the meteorites was exposed to cosmic radiation. These samples were exposed to radiation from chunks of the mineral Sylvite (potassium chloride or KCl) that has some radioactive potassium in its structure that was deposited near this salt layer.
1) Fragments
a) roughly 7 to 10 grams (about 18mm x 15mm x 15mm) - $10
b) roughly 20 grams (about 28mm x 23mm x 18mm) - $20
c) roughly 50 grams (about 35mm x 30mm x 23mm) - $30
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.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 115 - H, E and D
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 115 - H, E and D
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 115
December 20, 2011
Dear Collectors,
This is likely my last offering for 2011, though I might do a "don't want to have to inventory it" sale next week (though, to be honest, I have not come up with many such items yet0.
Here is an offering of only 3 specimens, but boy are they specimens! (I'd love to have these in my collection!) I have one each Howardite, Eucrite and Diogenite slice that are about as big (surface area) as any I have ever seen – real museum type display pieces! These are very thin but can be carefully handled (I have done it). These are each in their own Riker mount. PLEASE NOTE – these are being sold as specimens, not based on a per gram price for commonly available similar (but thicker) type material! If anybody out there has had some cutting work done with a wire saw, they will know that this expense can really add to the cost of resulting specimens (I once had a roughly 20cm x 15cm Seymchan pallasite slice cost $1000 per cut!!)
I had hoped to "save" these back until we started to hear info that has been learned from the Dawn mission orbiting Vesta at this point. So far, I have only seen photos, no hard science. I have been told that this will likely stay this way as well. Apparently, they don't want to release any form of "preliminary" findings, only data once all the work has been done. This might be awhile and I DEFINITELY want to have what ever remains of these 3 on display in Tucson (I am running really low on large display pieces). So – now is the time!
HOWARDITE:
NWA (1811): Found 2001. Tkw = 8kg.
The total known weight on this listed in the bulletin is wrong. I think it is 3kg listed their. One look at this giant slice and it will be apparent that the 8kg the owner of this told me is the correct amount. This is a GIANT slice that is also quite aesthetic. It has clasts of many sizes and colors (mostly grays and browns) set in a nice light gray matrix. This is a complete slice and has crust along all but a tiny (25mm or so) portion of its edge.
93.28 grams – 205mm x 162mm x 1mm - $3000
EUCRITE:
SAHARA (02501): Found 2002, Tkw = 3.96 kilograms.
This is an interesting slice. It is a medium to dark gray and does seem to show some rounded darker clasts in a finer (shock melted?) matrix. This looks, texturally, very much like the "rarer" Millbillillie material, but darker. This is a complete slice and shows crust along most of the edge (maybe 4 or 5 cm being a natural break).
35g – 160mm x 95mm x 1mm - $1000
DIOGENITE:
NWA (4272): Found 2003. Tkw = 6768 grams.
This is a beautiful complete slice of a "common" diogenite (the pretty much all orthopyroxene type we usually think of. The classification system has recently been changed where all ultra mafic rocks (likely) from Vesta are labeled "Diogenite" and then are broken into orthopyroxenite, olivine-diogenites (harzbergite? – can't find the reference at the moment) and Dunites). This has that classic Jhonstown look to it; large (cm or so) green crystals in a light green matrix. This is also a complete slice. The shape clearly shows the rounded complete meteorite form, but there are only small patches of obvious crust spread around the edge of this.
78.4 grams – 180mm x 125mm x 1mm - $3000
GROUP SPECIAL: ALL 3 for $6500
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 115
December 20, 2011
Dear Collectors,
This is likely my last offering for 2011, though I might do a "don't want to have to inventory it" sale next week (though, to be honest, I have not come up with many such items yet0.
Here is an offering of only 3 specimens, but boy are they specimens! (I'd love to have these in my collection!) I have one each Howardite, Eucrite and Diogenite slice that are about as big (surface area) as any I have ever seen – real museum type display pieces! These are very thin but can be carefully handled (I have done it). These are each in their own Riker mount. PLEASE NOTE – these are being sold as specimens, not based on a per gram price for commonly available similar (but thicker) type material! If anybody out there has had some cutting work done with a wire saw, they will know that this expense can really add to the cost of resulting specimens (I once had a roughly 20cm x 15cm Seymchan pallasite slice cost $1000 per cut!!)
I had hoped to "save" these back until we started to hear info that has been learned from the Dawn mission orbiting Vesta at this point. So far, I have only seen photos, no hard science. I have been told that this will likely stay this way as well. Apparently, they don't want to release any form of "preliminary" findings, only data once all the work has been done. This might be awhile and I DEFINITELY want to have what ever remains of these 3 on display in Tucson (I am running really low on large display pieces). So – now is the time!
HOWARDITE:
NWA (1811): Found 2001. Tkw = 8kg.
The total known weight on this listed in the bulletin is wrong. I think it is 3kg listed their. One look at this giant slice and it will be apparent that the 8kg the owner of this told me is the correct amount. This is a GIANT slice that is also quite aesthetic. It has clasts of many sizes and colors (mostly grays and browns) set in a nice light gray matrix. This is a complete slice and has crust along all but a tiny (25mm or so) portion of its edge.
93.28 grams – 205mm x 162mm x 1mm - $3000
EUCRITE:
SAHARA (02501): Found 2002, Tkw = 3.96 kilograms.
This is an interesting slice. It is a medium to dark gray and does seem to show some rounded darker clasts in a finer (shock melted?) matrix. This looks, texturally, very much like the "rarer" Millbillillie material, but darker. This is a complete slice and shows crust along most of the edge (maybe 4 or 5 cm being a natural break).
35g – 160mm x 95mm x 1mm - $1000
DIOGENITE:
NWA (4272): Found 2003. Tkw = 6768 grams.
This is a beautiful complete slice of a "common" diogenite (the pretty much all orthopyroxene type we usually think of. The classification system has recently been changed where all ultra mafic rocks (likely) from Vesta are labeled "Diogenite" and then are broken into orthopyroxenite, olivine-diogenites (harzbergite? – can't find the reference at the moment) and Dunites). This has that classic Jhonstown look to it; large (cm or so) green crystals in a light green matrix. This is also a complete slice. The shape clearly shows the rounded complete meteorite form, but there are only small patches of obvious crust spread around the edge of this.
78.4 grams – 180mm x 125mm x 1mm - $3000
GROUP SPECIAL: ALL 3 for $6500
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites - List 114 - last of collection and Seymchan display pieces
Blaine Reed Meteorites - List 114 - last of collection and Seymchan display pieces
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 114
December 6, 2011
Dear Collectors,
Here is the last of the "new" collection stuff I got after the Denver show. I also have put in an extra section of some super Seymchan pieces that were left in my hands after the show (mostly for storage, but it also gives me the chance to offer them to you/ buy what I want for inventory before I return them their owner at the Tucson show). Mostly I wanted to have the spheres (both all metal that are fantastically etched and a couple REALLY pallasitic ones) offered before Christmas, incase there is anyone out there with a fairly fat wallet needing a gift for a sphere collector (don't laugh, this is a HUGE market. I have already sold the two largest that were left with me). And, for the person with really deep pockets, a HUGE beautifully etched complete slice! (I actually have two of these, so some one could have matching end-tables if they wanted).
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite. Oxide fragment.
This was with a Haxtun, CO label but it is really a Diablo oxide fragment (I recognize the shape, layered texture and the type dirt still stuck to parts of it).
8.1 gram oxide fragment – 25mm x 10mm x 10mm - $2
DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942. Tkw = 200+ kilograms.
Here is a smaple of probably the most under appreciated meteorite available. To scientists, it is important as it a regolith breccia (from the surface of the H parent body) that contains micro-diamonds (pre-solar?), chunks of various other meteorite types 9that crashed into the H parent body) as well as the usual chondrule-rich type 3 texture. I guess a large part of the problem is that this tends to be a dark meteorite in slices, so these features generally do not show well. This piece however, shows breccia texture and chondrules on the less polished side than most specimens.
23.9 gram complete slice – 46mm x 32mm x 5mm - $35
GIBEON, Namibia: Fine octahdedrite (IVA). Found 1836.
This is a small thin slice with a nice etch. There is a bit of light brown staining on parts, but nothing that looks to threaten the long-term survival of the piece. One edge of this is natural, the others are cut (as usual).
16.9 gram etched slice – 35mm x 32mm x 2mm - $30
HAXTUN, Colorado: (H/L 4). Found 1975. Tkw = 16.5+ kilograms.
This is a small end piece. One half of the back (natural) side shows the weird smooth greenish colored exterior that covered much of the pieces of this I had.
2.9 gram end piece – 25mm x 14mm x 5mm - $10
HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
This is just a typical individual as found. It has the usual nice orange-brown color and a somewhat flat shrapnel shape.
21.2 gram individual – 30mm x 20mm x 9mm - $30
IMILAC, Chile: (Plallasite). Ound 1822.
This is one of the sandy-crystal "shrapnel fragments" that were found near the main impact pit.
5.0g fragment – 20mm x 13mm x 7mm - $35
NANTAN, China: Medium octahedrite (IAB).
This is actually a nice little piece. It is a tumbled oxide (but feels heavy enough to be metal yet) that has a nice blue-gray color and nice "worry stone" shape (flat, rounded). Best of all though, is this should not rust!
38.0 gram tumbled oxide fragment – 45mm x 30mm x 10mm – 45
ODESSA, Texas. Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1922.
This is a nice natural individual left as it was found (rusty exterior, a bit of thin caliche in spots). This has a nice shape (rare for most Odessa's).
76.2 gram natural individual – 45mm x 22mm x 20mm - $80
SEYMCHAN, Russia: (Pallasite). Display specimens.
These are a mix of display type pieces. The etched ones (all iron) show fantastic structure (hard not to spend a lot of time contemplating these pieces) and the pallasitic specimens are intensely rich with olivine.
1) Huge complete etched slices. Real museum pieces!
a) 8750 grams – 530mm x 410mm x 6mm - $11,500
b) 9850 grams – 500mm x 450mm x 7mm - $13,000
2) Large to huge complete pallasite slices: The "small" one has larger more gemmy crystals and passes light through many of them, looking more like Esquel or Imilac and has a neat animal like shape. There are some zones of metal (or just a bit less olivine) in this piece that makes for an interesting contrast (it has been etched on one side and simply polished on the other). The large piece is intensely olivine rich, but has many smaller crystals and is thicker (it would likely fall apart if cut thinner there is such a high degree of olivine in this) so light passes through only a few areas on this one. This piece also has an animal-like shape (perhaps better than the 990g one) – looking much like a Buffalo (I know, they really are Bison) resting on the ground.
a) 990 gram complete slice – 280mm x 200mm x 3mm - $11,000
b) 4120 gram complete slice – 540mm x 320mm x 6mm - $25,000
3) Spheres: These are wonderfully well prepared! All come with a small plastic sphere stand.
a) 374.7 gram etched iron – 45mm diameter - $700
b) 623.5 gram etched iron sphere – 53.1mm diameter - $1200
c) 166.2 gram PALLASITE sphere – 41.3mm diameter - $950
3) End piece: This is a wonderful display specimen! It sits just right naturally. It has a great "differential etch". This is the old museum style where the specimen was given a high polish and the edge was protected with wax before etching. This leaves a shiny edge (about 6mm wide) around the outer edge and the usual etch in the center. The back side of this has been brushed and has a nice thumb-printed texture to it.
a) 7970 gram end piece – 180mm x 150mm x 80mm - $2900
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 114
December 6, 2011
Dear Collectors,
Here is the last of the "new" collection stuff I got after the Denver show. I also have put in an extra section of some super Seymchan pieces that were left in my hands after the show (mostly for storage, but it also gives me the chance to offer them to you/ buy what I want for inventory before I return them their owner at the Tucson show). Mostly I wanted to have the spheres (both all metal that are fantastically etched and a couple REALLY pallasitic ones) offered before Christmas, incase there is anyone out there with a fairly fat wallet needing a gift for a sphere collector (don't laugh, this is a HUGE market. I have already sold the two largest that were left with me). And, for the person with really deep pockets, a HUGE beautifully etched complete slice! (I actually have two of these, so some one could have matching end-tables if they wanted).
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite. Oxide fragment.
This was with a Haxtun, CO label but it is really a Diablo oxide fragment (I recognize the shape, layered texture and the type dirt still stuck to parts of it).
8.1 gram oxide fragment – 25mm x 10mm x 10mm - $2
DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942. Tkw = 200+ kilograms.
Here is a smaple of probably the most under appreciated meteorite available. To scientists, it is important as it a regolith breccia (from the surface of the H parent body) that contains micro-diamonds (pre-solar?), chunks of various other meteorite types 9that crashed into the H parent body) as well as the usual chondrule-rich type 3 texture. I guess a large part of the problem is that this tends to be a dark meteorite in slices, so these features generally do not show well. This piece however, shows breccia texture and chondrules on the less polished side than most specimens.
23.9 gram complete slice – 46mm x 32mm x 5mm - $35
GIBEON, Namibia: Fine octahdedrite (IVA). Found 1836.
This is a small thin slice with a nice etch. There is a bit of light brown staining on parts, but nothing that looks to threaten the long-term survival of the piece. One edge of this is natural, the others are cut (as usual).
16.9 gram etched slice – 35mm x 32mm x 2mm - $30
HAXTUN, Colorado: (H/L 4). Found 1975. Tkw = 16.5+ kilograms.
This is a small end piece. One half of the back (natural) side shows the weird smooth greenish colored exterior that covered much of the pieces of this I had.
2.9 gram end piece – 25mm x 14mm x 5mm - $10
HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
This is just a typical individual as found. It has the usual nice orange-brown color and a somewhat flat shrapnel shape.
21.2 gram individual – 30mm x 20mm x 9mm - $30
IMILAC, Chile: (Plallasite). Ound 1822.
This is one of the sandy-crystal "shrapnel fragments" that were found near the main impact pit.
5.0g fragment – 20mm x 13mm x 7mm - $35
NANTAN, China: Medium octahedrite (IAB).
This is actually a nice little piece. It is a tumbled oxide (but feels heavy enough to be metal yet) that has a nice blue-gray color and nice "worry stone" shape (flat, rounded). Best of all though, is this should not rust!
38.0 gram tumbled oxide fragment – 45mm x 30mm x 10mm – 45
ODESSA, Texas. Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1922.
This is a nice natural individual left as it was found (rusty exterior, a bit of thin caliche in spots). This has a nice shape (rare for most Odessa's).
76.2 gram natural individual – 45mm x 22mm x 20mm - $80
SEYMCHAN, Russia: (Pallasite). Display specimens.
These are a mix of display type pieces. The etched ones (all iron) show fantastic structure (hard not to spend a lot of time contemplating these pieces) and the pallasitic specimens are intensely rich with olivine.
1) Huge complete etched slices. Real museum pieces!
a) 8750 grams – 530mm x 410mm x 6mm - $11,500
b) 9850 grams – 500mm x 450mm x 7mm - $13,000
2) Large to huge complete pallasite slices: The "small" one has larger more gemmy crystals and passes light through many of them, looking more like Esquel or Imilac and has a neat animal like shape. There are some zones of metal (or just a bit less olivine) in this piece that makes for an interesting contrast (it has been etched on one side and simply polished on the other). The large piece is intensely olivine rich, but has many smaller crystals and is thicker (it would likely fall apart if cut thinner there is such a high degree of olivine in this) so light passes through only a few areas on this one. This piece also has an animal-like shape (perhaps better than the 990g one) – looking much like a Buffalo (I know, they really are Bison) resting on the ground.
a) 990 gram complete slice – 280mm x 200mm x 3mm - $11,000
b) 4120 gram complete slice – 540mm x 320mm x 6mm - $25,000
3) Spheres: These are wonderfully well prepared! All come with a small plastic sphere stand.
a) 374.7 gram etched iron – 45mm diameter - $700
b) 623.5 gram etched iron sphere – 53.1mm diameter - $1200
c) 166.2 gram PALLASITE sphere – 41.3mm diameter - $950
3) End piece: This is a wonderful display specimen! It sits just right naturally. It has a great "differential etch". This is the old museum style where the specimen was given a high polish and the edge was protected with wax before etching. This leaves a shiny edge (about 6mm wide) around the outer edge and the usual etch in the center. The back side of this has been brushed and has a nice thumb-printed texture to it.
a) 7970 gram end piece – 180mm x 150mm x 80mm - $2900
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites - List 113 Tektites
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 113
November 22, 2011
Dear Collectors,
This is going out a week late, technically, as I was not home from Socorro yet last Tuesday.
This offering is a list of tektites from a collection I received shortly before the Denver show (but did not come to a sales agreement on the stuff until well after the show – largely my fault for being so busy after getting home that I forgot to work on this for a couple weeks).
AUSTRALITE:
The card with this indicates that it is from Southwest (actually has "Sweetwest" – an obvious misspelling) Australian Desert, Australia. This is a basic intact rounded blob. Nothing special, but not chipped up.
3.1 gram individual – 17mm x 13mm x 11mm - $15
BEDIASITE: Texas tektites.
I have two of these. One (the small one) came with the collection and is quite nice (no chips and nice surface features, though not highly sculpted). This specimen Has the usual 9for this collection lot anyway) small typed label that says it is from Grimes County, Texas. The larger is THE LAST of what I got this past Tucson (these things were very popular when I offered them on my May mailed offering and sold rapidly). These are my ONLY 2 specimens and it may be quite some time before I get more (unless some magically walk in the door this year like last Tucson – I wouldn't mind that happening again) so don't hesitate if you have been considering picking up a Berdiasite (they are getting quite hard to come by).
a) 3.5 gram complete individual – 17mm x 13mm x 12mm - $40
b) 32.9 gram "individual" (has large 28mm x 28mm flat chip on bottom) – 38mm x 30mm x 18mm - $265
CHINESE TEKTITE:
The card with this one has "Guang Dong Providence, Southern China". It should be "province", but the rest of it is right. This is a basic elongate intact specimen with nice soft surface features and no chips.
40.5 gram individual – 42mm x 25mm x 23mm - $5
INDOCHINITE:Cambodia.
The card with this one has nothing else for locality info. This is a rather plain rounded intact individual from a rare (?) locality.
17.6 gram individual – 25mm x 24mm x 19mm - $15
INDOCHINITE, Thailand.
The card with this specimen says "exact location unknown). This is certainly nothing special (the card is probably more valuable to a collector than the specimen). One side has the usual thumb-printed look to it and the other (dish-shaped) is smooth with chipped edges. This is possibly the cheapest item I have ever bothered listing.
5.5 gram individual – 22mm x 20mm x 7mm - $1
INDOCHINITE: Paulin District, Thailand.
This specimen definitely has a different look to it. It shows some pretty large scale stretch/ flow features along with some deep grooves and holes.
21.4 gram individual – 42mm x 20mm x 16mm - $4
INDOCHINITE: Delat Vietnam.
The card with this one has Delat/Lang Bian, Vietnam. This is a nice (not chipped anyway, but surface features are a little dull) elongate to tear-drop shaped specimen. I have long since sold out of my Dalat Indochinites.
10.8 gram individual – 40mm x 15mm x 13mm - $5
MOLDAVITE: In situ specimen!
Here is a small (roughly 15mm x 7mm) Moldavite still in the sandstone breccia that they supposedly weather out of. Most moldavites are found in stream beds/ deposits after they have eroded out of this kind of rock (where they supposedly were dropped when they fell). I have only had a couple specimens like this, and that was quite a few years ago (when a Eastern European supplier brought out a handful of these specimens) and I remember that they were quite expensive back then.
Small 15mm x 7mm in sandstone/breccia rock - $120
MOLDAVITE:
This is just a nice basic specimen with good surface features. It is not chipped but could use a cleaning (it still has a bit of natural dirt in the pockets/crevices. Interestingly, the dirt DOES match the material that the above specimen is stuck in). The card says "Moldau River Valley, Bohemia, Czech Republic".
3.7 gram individual – 25mm x 13mm x 8mm - $20
MOUNG NONG; (layered Indochinite).
These likely formed as pools of melt on the ground near the (still unknown) impact sit. The card says that this is from Ubonratch-thani District, Thailand.
53gram fragment – 45mm x 30mm x 25mm - $10
PHILLIPINITE: Rizal province, Philippines.
This does have some grooving, but not what I usually think of when I imagine "Rizalites". This is finer textured. Not an exciting specimen, and priced accordingly.
18.0 gram individual – 32mm x 22mm x 20mm - $7.
"TIBETAN" TEKTITE:
Notice how I put Tibetan in parenthesis? I have not seen any scientific proof that these things really come from there (though this one has a card that indicates it is from the "Bam Lake Region, Tibet"). My guess is that these may actually be transported (and then sold in the area) Chinese tektites. This particular specimen (and all of the other "Tibetan" tektites I have seen) looks identical in its wild shape and sculpting features (this one even has a small natural hole at one end) to a large batch of Chinese Tektites I got when they first started to re-appear on the market over 20 years ago (interesting story how I ended up with these. A Chinese mineral dealer asked if I would trade equal weight common US meteorites for Chinese meteorites at the Tucson show. Of coarse I said yes! The next year he showed up with 100pounds of these "meteorites" expecting 100 pounds of US meteorites. Quite an arm-wrestling match ensued as I explained that these were NOT meteorites (but still worth something to collectors) before we came to a trade agreement). I still have a couple bags of these generally small wild-shaped (Russ Kempton simply called them "Rubble-like") tektites in a back corner of the closet, but I sell them as "Chinese" tektites.
3.8 gram individual – 21mm x 16mm x 12mm - $10
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 113
November 22, 2011
Dear Collectors,
This is going out a week late, technically, as I was not home from Socorro yet last Tuesday.
This offering is a list of tektites from a collection I received shortly before the Denver show (but did not come to a sales agreement on the stuff until well after the show – largely my fault for being so busy after getting home that I forgot to work on this for a couple weeks).
AUSTRALITE:
The card with this indicates that it is from Southwest (actually has "Sweetwest" – an obvious misspelling) Australian Desert, Australia. This is a basic intact rounded blob. Nothing special, but not chipped up.
3.1 gram individual – 17mm x 13mm x 11mm - $15
BEDIASITE: Texas tektites.
I have two of these. One (the small one) came with the collection and is quite nice (no chips and nice surface features, though not highly sculpted). This specimen Has the usual 9for this collection lot anyway) small typed label that says it is from Grimes County, Texas. The larger is THE LAST of what I got this past Tucson (these things were very popular when I offered them on my May mailed offering and sold rapidly). These are my ONLY 2 specimens and it may be quite some time before I get more (unless some magically walk in the door this year like last Tucson – I wouldn't mind that happening again) so don't hesitate if you have been considering picking up a Berdiasite (they are getting quite hard to come by).
a) 3.5 gram complete individual – 17mm x 13mm x 12mm - $40
b) 32.9 gram "individual" (has large 28mm x 28mm flat chip on bottom) – 38mm x 30mm x 18mm - $265
CHINESE TEKTITE:
The card with this one has "Guang Dong Providence, Southern China". It should be "province", but the rest of it is right. This is a basic elongate intact specimen with nice soft surface features and no chips.
40.5 gram individual – 42mm x 25mm x 23mm - $5
INDOCHINITE:Cambodia.
The card with this one has nothing else for locality info. This is a rather plain rounded intact individual from a rare (?) locality.
17.6 gram individual – 25mm x 24mm x 19mm - $15
INDOCHINITE, Thailand.
The card with this specimen says "exact location unknown). This is certainly nothing special (the card is probably more valuable to a collector than the specimen). One side has the usual thumb-printed look to it and the other (dish-shaped) is smooth with chipped edges. This is possibly the cheapest item I have ever bothered listing.
5.5 gram individual – 22mm x 20mm x 7mm - $1
INDOCHINITE: Paulin District, Thailand.
This specimen definitely has a different look to it. It shows some pretty large scale stretch/ flow features along with some deep grooves and holes.
21.4 gram individual – 42mm x 20mm x 16mm - $4
INDOCHINITE: Delat Vietnam.
The card with this one has Delat/Lang Bian, Vietnam. This is a nice (not chipped anyway, but surface features are a little dull) elongate to tear-drop shaped specimen. I have long since sold out of my Dalat Indochinites.
10.8 gram individual – 40mm x 15mm x 13mm - $5
MOLDAVITE: In situ specimen!
Here is a small (roughly 15mm x 7mm) Moldavite still in the sandstone breccia that they supposedly weather out of. Most moldavites are found in stream beds/ deposits after they have eroded out of this kind of rock (where they supposedly were dropped when they fell). I have only had a couple specimens like this, and that was quite a few years ago (when a Eastern European supplier brought out a handful of these specimens) and I remember that they were quite expensive back then.
Small 15mm x 7mm in sandstone/breccia rock - $120
MOLDAVITE:
This is just a nice basic specimen with good surface features. It is not chipped but could use a cleaning (it still has a bit of natural dirt in the pockets/crevices. Interestingly, the dirt DOES match the material that the above specimen is stuck in). The card says "Moldau River Valley, Bohemia, Czech Republic".
3.7 gram individual – 25mm x 13mm x 8mm - $20
MOUNG NONG; (layered Indochinite).
These likely formed as pools of melt on the ground near the (still unknown) impact sit. The card says that this is from Ubonratch-thani District, Thailand.
53gram fragment – 45mm x 30mm x 25mm - $10
PHILLIPINITE: Rizal province, Philippines.
This does have some grooving, but not what I usually think of when I imagine "Rizalites". This is finer textured. Not an exciting specimen, and priced accordingly.
18.0 gram individual – 32mm x 22mm x 20mm - $7.
"TIBETAN" TEKTITE:
Notice how I put Tibetan in parenthesis? I have not seen any scientific proof that these things really come from there (though this one has a card that indicates it is from the "Bam Lake Region, Tibet"). My guess is that these may actually be transported (and then sold in the area) Chinese tektites. This particular specimen (and all of the other "Tibetan" tektites I have seen) looks identical in its wild shape and sculpting features (this one even has a small natural hole at one end) to a large batch of Chinese Tektites I got when they first started to re-appear on the market over 20 years ago (interesting story how I ended up with these. A Chinese mineral dealer asked if I would trade equal weight common US meteorites for Chinese meteorites at the Tucson show. Of coarse I said yes! The next year he showed up with 100pounds of these "meteorites" expecting 100 pounds of US meteorites. Quite an arm-wrestling match ensued as I explained that these were NOT meteorites (but still worth something to collectors) before we came to a trade agreement). I still have a couple bags of these generally small wild-shaped (Russ Kempton simply called them "Rubble-like") tektites in a back corner of the closet, but I sell them as "Chinese" tektites.
3.8 gram individual – 21mm x 16mm x 12mm - $10
Friday, 4 November 2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 112 - impact materials
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 112 - impact materials
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 112
November 2, 2011
Dear Collectors,
I completely forgot about getting this out properly on Tuesday. For some reason, I failed to recognize that the 1st was indeed the "first Tuesday of the month". Anyway, this is a small offering of impact materials and miscellaneous meteorite related items from a collection I received a month or so ago.
I will be leaving next Wednesday morning (the 9th) and will be gone until the 16th (another Wednesday). This is for the Socorro event (New Mexico Mineral Symposium). I should be at the Comfort Inn Friday the 11th through Sunday (evenings on Friday and Saturday and until mid afternoon on Sunday).
PLEASE NOTE:I will have to be out of town this afternoon (for more XRF analysis work on the supposed Lunar and plessitic material that has supposedly been found in Montrose the last couple years. Spoiler alert – all material I have analyzed so far has turned out to be terrestrial). I will probably be gone from around 2pm until 5pm. Please leave a message (if you are calling) or don't be upset if I don't get back to you by e-mail during that rough time frame.
COESITE: Meteor Crater, Arizona.
Here is a fragment of this snow-white soft rock. It is a high temperature/pressure form of quartz that formed from Coconino Sandstone during the crater-forming impact. This comes with a couple different info cards with it – including one "New England Meteoritical Services" card.
6.1 gram fragment – 22mm x 16mm x 11mm - $10
K-T BOUNDARY CLAY: Gola Bollacione, Italy.
I am a little suspicious of this one. It does look a lot like potter's clay (with rock fragments though). However, it does have a lot of documentation with it. This includes a photo of the boundary clay of the area (and it does resemble this in color and general texture) and a "Bethany Sciences Certificate of Authenticity" (not sure if that one helps or hurts this). Anyway, I discussed this with the previous owner and tried to make a balance that priced this affordably for what it is supposed to be.
45.0 gram fragment – 50mm x 40mm x 25mm – $50
REIS CRATER ROCK: Germany.
This is a couple pieces of breccia from the Reis Crater in Bavaria, Germany. This is pretty impressive breccia. It has angular to rounded fragments of all kinds of rocks of different compositions and colors in a light green matrix. Really neat! These come with an Excaliber Mineral Company label.
35.2 grams slices (2 pcs) - $15
ROCK FLOUR: Meteor Crater, Arizona.
This is a 20mm x 6mm capsule about half full or so of this fine white powder. This was formed by the pulverization of Coconino Sandstone during the formation of the crater. I think most samples of this came out o the mine shaft that was sunk in the bottom-center of the crater in an attempt to locate the large iron mass they thought would remain buried beneath (until later physics calculations showed that the energies involved would have precluded that possibility).
20mm x 6mm capsule half full - $5
SHATTER CONE; Beaverhead, Montana.
This is a nice, small example of shattercones from this area. This was likely retrieved from the remote find site o this stuff by a friend of mine who found it while doing raptor nest surveys for the government 5 or 6 years ago.
68.7 gram fragment – 75mm x 50mm x 12mm - $5
TROILITE: FeS, California.
I have not seen a piece of this in quite a long time. I remember the excitement over it being discovered though. I believe this was the only known terrestrial occurrence of this mineral that is so common in meteorites. This is like the typical iron pyrite ("fools gold"), but it has one less Sulfur atom in its structure (pyrite has 2 sulfur atoms for each iron where as Troilite has only one). This specimen comes with a card that says it is from the Copper Shaft, Alta Mine, Low Divide District, Del Norte Cnty, Calif. It furthe describes that this mineral was the subject of many mining adventures of Star Trek. This part is in error though, I believe that that mineral was something like "Dilitium crystals" not troilite.
68.5 gram fragment – 35mm x 30mm x 20mm - $50
TUNGUSKA BARK: Pockemennaya, Tungusta River Basin, Siberia, Russia.
This is a small piece of bark that was collected by a Russian research team in the 1980's, presumably from a tree that was knocked down by the blast on June 30, 1908 (it does indeed look sufficiently old). This sample comes with 3 different info cards, including one "New England Meteoritical Services" one (this is the only one with a source on it). I have never seen one of these before and they are, no doubt, quite rare.
Bark fragment – 27mm x 16mm x 4mm - $80
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 112
November 2, 2011
Dear Collectors,
I completely forgot about getting this out properly on Tuesday. For some reason, I failed to recognize that the 1st was indeed the "first Tuesday of the month". Anyway, this is a small offering of impact materials and miscellaneous meteorite related items from a collection I received a month or so ago.
I will be leaving next Wednesday morning (the 9th) and will be gone until the 16th (another Wednesday). This is for the Socorro event (New Mexico Mineral Symposium). I should be at the Comfort Inn Friday the 11th through Sunday (evenings on Friday and Saturday and until mid afternoon on Sunday).
PLEASE NOTE:I will have to be out of town this afternoon (for more XRF analysis work on the supposed Lunar and plessitic material that has supposedly been found in Montrose the last couple years. Spoiler alert – all material I have analyzed so far has turned out to be terrestrial). I will probably be gone from around 2pm until 5pm. Please leave a message (if you are calling) or don't be upset if I don't get back to you by e-mail during that rough time frame.
COESITE: Meteor Crater, Arizona.
Here is a fragment of this snow-white soft rock. It is a high temperature/pressure form of quartz that formed from Coconino Sandstone during the crater-forming impact. This comes with a couple different info cards with it – including one "New England Meteoritical Services" card.
6.1 gram fragment – 22mm x 16mm x 11mm - $10
K-T BOUNDARY CLAY: Gola Bollacione, Italy.
I am a little suspicious of this one. It does look a lot like potter's clay (with rock fragments though). However, it does have a lot of documentation with it. This includes a photo of the boundary clay of the area (and it does resemble this in color and general texture) and a "Bethany Sciences Certificate of Authenticity" (not sure if that one helps or hurts this). Anyway, I discussed this with the previous owner and tried to make a balance that priced this affordably for what it is supposed to be.
45.0 gram fragment – 50mm x 40mm x 25mm – $50
REIS CRATER ROCK: Germany.
This is a couple pieces of breccia from the Reis Crater in Bavaria, Germany. This is pretty impressive breccia. It has angular to rounded fragments of all kinds of rocks of different compositions and colors in a light green matrix. Really neat! These come with an Excaliber Mineral Company label.
35.2 grams slices (2 pcs) - $15
ROCK FLOUR: Meteor Crater, Arizona.
This is a 20mm x 6mm capsule about half full or so of this fine white powder. This was formed by the pulverization of Coconino Sandstone during the formation of the crater. I think most samples of this came out o the mine shaft that was sunk in the bottom-center of the crater in an attempt to locate the large iron mass they thought would remain buried beneath (until later physics calculations showed that the energies involved would have precluded that possibility).
20mm x 6mm capsule half full - $5
SHATTER CONE; Beaverhead, Montana.
This is a nice, small example of shattercones from this area. This was likely retrieved from the remote find site o this stuff by a friend of mine who found it while doing raptor nest surveys for the government 5 or 6 years ago.
68.7 gram fragment – 75mm x 50mm x 12mm - $5
TROILITE: FeS, California.
I have not seen a piece of this in quite a long time. I remember the excitement over it being discovered though. I believe this was the only known terrestrial occurrence of this mineral that is so common in meteorites. This is like the typical iron pyrite ("fools gold"), but it has one less Sulfur atom in its structure (pyrite has 2 sulfur atoms for each iron where as Troilite has only one). This specimen comes with a card that says it is from the Copper Shaft, Alta Mine, Low Divide District, Del Norte Cnty, Calif. It furthe describes that this mineral was the subject of many mining adventures of Star Trek. This part is in error though, I believe that that mineral was something like "Dilitium crystals" not troilite.
68.5 gram fragment – 35mm x 30mm x 20mm - $50
TUNGUSKA BARK: Pockemennaya, Tungusta River Basin, Siberia, Russia.
This is a small piece of bark that was collected by a Russian research team in the 1980's, presumably from a tree that was knocked down by the blast on June 30, 1908 (it does indeed look sufficiently old). This sample comes with 3 different info cards, including one "New England Meteoritical Services" one (this is the only one with a source on it). I have never seen one of these before and they are, no doubt, quite rare.
Bark fragment – 27mm x 16mm x 4mm - $80
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 111 - recently mailed offering 19OCT2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 111 - recently mailed offering
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
October 19, 2011
……………………………………………………LIST 111
Dear Collectors,
Here is the E-mail version of my just mailed paper list offering.
This is my 25th anniversary list! It was October of 1986 that my first ad came out in Rock and Gem and I sent out my first catalogs. My first actual order was late in the month and went out to a collector in Erie, PA. It sometimes seems like it has been a loooong time, but usually it feels more like I started just last year.
Socorro, New Mexico Mineral Symposium. I will be gone November 9th - 16th. The "informal tail-gating" (specimen sales) will be at the Comfort Inn at the very North end of town (1259 Frontage Rd NW). I should be in room 119. I should be set up and open by 2PM on Friday Nov 11th and open again about 6PM Saturday (generally open until 11 or so each night). I will also likely be open much of Sunday as well - not putting things away until around 4PM or so that day.
As usual lately: I am very busy with several projects that will have me out of the house periodically. Please leave a message if you don't reach me. I will get back to you when I get back in.
MUONIONALUSTA, Sweden: Fine octahedrite (IVA). Found 1906. Tkw = 1000+ kilograms.
I am a little bit scared to offer this one. I have heard it called MuonionaRUSTA. This is beautiful stuff though. It has a fantastic etch (sharper and better, by far, than most Gibeon) but does sometimes have a problem with developing rust lines. These pieces were supposedly cut in oil and etched in alcohol, so they are supposed to be much more stable than most. I have had these for 8 months and they are indeed holding up well, and we have been very rainy here this summer.
1) Etched part slices:
a) 8.2 grams - 25mm x 11mm x 4mm - $15
b) 17.1 grams - 29mm x 26mm x 3mm - $30
c) 26.9 grams - 30mm x 28mm x 5mm - $45
DHOFAR 1576, Oman: (L5). Found March 10, 2009. Tkw = 7.7 kilograms.
The current total known weight on this might be substantially less for the time being. I got a little over 2kg of this and was told that the remainder may have been "lost in the shuffle" (misplaced, lost its labeling or accidentally got mixed in with other similar-looking unstudied material perhaps). Anyway, this is indeed the "Right Stuff". This was recovered as a single large stone that had weathered apart into many pieces. I suspect that this original stone may have been oriented to some degree, as quite a number of these pieces show some patches of incredibly thick, somewhat bubbly crust. This is, internally, pretty typical for a weathered low shock level (S2) L-chondrite.
1) Cut fragments:
a) 8.1 grams - 26mm x 15mm x 12mm - $10
b) 14.3 grams - 38mm x 17mm x 15mm - $17
c) 28.0 grams - 44mm x 27mm x 15mm - $31
d) 42.4 grams - 54mm x 33mm x 12mm - $45
e) 106.1 grams - 82mm x 48mm x 20mm - $100
f) 231.4 grams - 85mm x 58mm x 22mm - $205 – most of back covered by thin crust.
NWA 5783: (LL6). Found before February 2008. Tkw = 524.2 grams.
I got five fairly fresh looking stones with really low magnetic attraction at the Tucson show some years ago and set them aside. Cutting one of the stones revealed that these were a nice, fresh LL6 with a good breccia texture (this has gray clasts in a light greenish-gray matrix internally). I decided to offer the remaining stones as complete individuals for now as these are indeed distinctly complete individuals (I may cut up what does not sell and offer slices on a later list). I do have many collectors that want only complete stones of various types, and LL6 is not the easiest to come by. These do show a moderate level of wind-polishing and weathering effects, but the crust is still quite dark and thick in most areas (with much of the crust on the larger pieces showing nice contraction cracks). Note for E-Mail offering; I rapidly sold the smaller ones and cut the 109g piece, so now there is an end piece available. This does have a little bit of light browning on the edges but is a very nice specimen with really nice crust covering the back.
1) Complete individuals as found:
a) 198.8 grams - 55mm x 43mm x 38mm - $600
2) End piece:
a) 54.8 grams – 50mm x 43mm x 18mm - $190
ORGUEIL, France: (CI1), carbonaceous chondrite. Fell May 14, 1864. Tkw = 11 kilograms.
This is the closest to comet material we as collectors have in our collections (I doubt we'll ever get access to some of the tiny grains they brought back from comet 81P/Wild 2 in the Stardust mission). This is very close to solar abundance in most elements and is the most "primitive" meteorite type known. This has had a lot of water flow though it in its past. I recently saw a very interesting article explaining that there may really be fossils in this material! Some of the evidence was along the lines of
the microbes that were fossilized were of a type that live underwater (we all know that this material would have turned to mud if it spent any time underwater after arriving on Earth) and the isotopic compositions of the `fossil" structures appeared to be non-terrestrial. I have not heard any more on this, but it is truly fascinating to think about none the less. What I have is crumbs (no surprise there), generally from small up to 4 or 5mm in size in a capsule or glass vial
1) Crumbs/ fragments in capsule/vial:
a) .05 grams - about 4mm diameter x 2.5mm deep in capsule - $125
b) .10 grams – about 4mm diameter x 5mm deep in capsule - $240
c) .25 grams – about 4mm diameter x 9mm deep in capsule - $575
d) .50 grams – 5mm diameter x 20mm glass vial filled - $1100
e) 1.0 grams – 11mm diameter x 9mm deep in glass vial - $2000
NWA 6888: Rio de Oro, Western Sahara: (Lunar meteorite). Found May 28, 2011, Tkw = 208 grams.
Here is a BRAND NEW Moon rock! This just got done with the research work, and it turned out to be really interesting! I have heard the term "collection in a slice" before, but it really applies to this stuff. This stone is classified as a "Polymict melt matrix breccia and is composed of many different mineral and rock type clasts (including granulites, anorthosites, gabbro, gabbro-norite, troctolites and VLT-like basalts) set in a devitrified glass matrix. This one meteorite seems to have a bit of pretty much all the different types of Lunar materials. The single "I've got some of that type Moon rock" Lunar specimen!
1) Slices:
a) .06 grams - 7mm x 4mm x 1mm - $65
b) .11 grams - 8mm x 6mm x 1mm - $120
c) .18 grams - 10mm x 9mm x 1mm - $195
d) .37 grams - 14mm x 10mm x 1mm - $390
e) .90 grams - 19mm x 18mm x 1mm - $900
f) 3.09 grams - 57mm x 22mm x 1mm - $2935 – complete slice.
2) End piece:
a) .13 grams – 10mm x 5mm x 2mm - $140
SEYMCHAN, Russia: (Pallasite). Found 1967. Tkw = tons, but very little true pallasite material known.
I got a few more pieces of the intensely pallasitic stuff at the Denver Spring Show and had it cut thinner. I couldn't recall if I have ever offered this material. I have offered the material with large crystals before, but I don't believe I have offered this really fine-grained material. Anyway, these have a high content of angular olivine sized from really tiny up to 5 or 6mm. These are neat pieces in that even a small specimen shows the pallasitic texture of a large slice (I often offer these to jewelers as even cabs for rings still show a good olivine/ metal mix).
1) Slices:
a) 3.3 grams - 19mm x 17mm x 2mm - $40
b) 6.6 grams - 31mm x 22mm x 2mm - $80
c) 9.8 grams - 28mm x 28mm x 3mm - $115
d) 14.2 grams - 43mm x 35mm x 2mm - $165
e) 21.0 grams - 70mm x 35mm x 2mm - $240
f) 36.7 grams - 52mm x 50mm x 3mm - $400 – lots of large crystals/ light transmittance!
2) Fantastic 6.7kg intensely pallasitic end piece – 230mm x 140mm x 120mm - $12,500 – I'd love to keep this one as my representative pallasite end piece if I had the cash (this is consigned).
DARWIN GLASS, Australia; impact glass.
I thought I was pretty much out of this material, but recently located another small bag I had set aside from long ago (probably 15 or 20 years). These are the usual dark greenish/gray irregular blobs of rough glass from the roughly 700k year old, 1 Km diameter Mount Darwin Crater in Tasmania.. Most show interesting stretch and or flow structure (I think this was a bag of the "good stuff", or at least the "better stuff").
1) Individuals/ fragments as found: Price = $2.50/g
Sizes available: 2.0g, 4.2g, 6.4g, 9.0g, 11.5g,
STONE (chondrite) METEORITE PENDANT/BEADS:
These are some really neat hand-made "beads" that I picked up in Denver. I have 2 styles – disks and hearts. They have a hole in them near their respective "tops" (near one edge of the disk and just below the V of the heart) for running a loop through for hanging on a chain. These would make a great Christmas present, so I decided to offer them now.
1) Disk shaped pendant bead: roughly 35mm diameter, 5mm thick (roughly 15 to 20 grams) - $20.00 each
2) Heart shaped pendant bead: Roughly 40mm tall x 35mm wide, 5mm thick (roughly 20 to 30 grams) - $25.00 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.
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
October 19, 2011
……………………………………………………LIST 111
Dear Collectors,
Here is the E-mail version of my just mailed paper list offering.
This is my 25th anniversary list! It was October of 1986 that my first ad came out in Rock and Gem and I sent out my first catalogs. My first actual order was late in the month and went out to a collector in Erie, PA. It sometimes seems like it has been a loooong time, but usually it feels more like I started just last year.
Socorro, New Mexico Mineral Symposium. I will be gone November 9th - 16th. The "informal tail-gating" (specimen sales) will be at the Comfort Inn at the very North end of town (1259 Frontage Rd NW). I should be in room 119. I should be set up and open by 2PM on Friday Nov 11th and open again about 6PM Saturday (generally open until 11 or so each night). I will also likely be open much of Sunday as well - not putting things away until around 4PM or so that day.
As usual lately: I am very busy with several projects that will have me out of the house periodically. Please leave a message if you don't reach me. I will get back to you when I get back in.
MUONIONALUSTA, Sweden: Fine octahedrite (IVA). Found 1906. Tkw = 1000+ kilograms.
I am a little bit scared to offer this one. I have heard it called MuonionaRUSTA. This is beautiful stuff though. It has a fantastic etch (sharper and better, by far, than most Gibeon) but does sometimes have a problem with developing rust lines. These pieces were supposedly cut in oil and etched in alcohol, so they are supposed to be much more stable than most. I have had these for 8 months and they are indeed holding up well, and we have been very rainy here this summer.
1) Etched part slices:
a) 8.2 grams - 25mm x 11mm x 4mm - $15
b) 17.1 grams - 29mm x 26mm x 3mm - $30
c) 26.9 grams - 30mm x 28mm x 5mm - $45
DHOFAR 1576, Oman: (L5). Found March 10, 2009. Tkw = 7.7 kilograms.
The current total known weight on this might be substantially less for the time being. I got a little over 2kg of this and was told that the remainder may have been "lost in the shuffle" (misplaced, lost its labeling or accidentally got mixed in with other similar-looking unstudied material perhaps). Anyway, this is indeed the "Right Stuff". This was recovered as a single large stone that had weathered apart into many pieces. I suspect that this original stone may have been oriented to some degree, as quite a number of these pieces show some patches of incredibly thick, somewhat bubbly crust. This is, internally, pretty typical for a weathered low shock level (S2) L-chondrite.
1) Cut fragments:
a) 8.1 grams - 26mm x 15mm x 12mm - $10
b) 14.3 grams - 38mm x 17mm x 15mm - $17
c) 28.0 grams - 44mm x 27mm x 15mm - $31
d) 42.4 grams - 54mm x 33mm x 12mm - $45
e) 106.1 grams - 82mm x 48mm x 20mm - $100
f) 231.4 grams - 85mm x 58mm x 22mm - $205 – most of back covered by thin crust.
NWA 5783: (LL6). Found before February 2008. Tkw = 524.2 grams.
I got five fairly fresh looking stones with really low magnetic attraction at the Tucson show some years ago and set them aside. Cutting one of the stones revealed that these were a nice, fresh LL6 with a good breccia texture (this has gray clasts in a light greenish-gray matrix internally). I decided to offer the remaining stones as complete individuals for now as these are indeed distinctly complete individuals (I may cut up what does not sell and offer slices on a later list). I do have many collectors that want only complete stones of various types, and LL6 is not the easiest to come by. These do show a moderate level of wind-polishing and weathering effects, but the crust is still quite dark and thick in most areas (with much of the crust on the larger pieces showing nice contraction cracks). Note for E-Mail offering; I rapidly sold the smaller ones and cut the 109g piece, so now there is an end piece available. This does have a little bit of light browning on the edges but is a very nice specimen with really nice crust covering the back.
1) Complete individuals as found:
a) 198.8 grams - 55mm x 43mm x 38mm - $600
2) End piece:
a) 54.8 grams – 50mm x 43mm x 18mm - $190
ORGUEIL, France: (CI1), carbonaceous chondrite. Fell May 14, 1864. Tkw = 11 kilograms.
This is the closest to comet material we as collectors have in our collections (I doubt we'll ever get access to some of the tiny grains they brought back from comet 81P/Wild 2 in the Stardust mission). This is very close to solar abundance in most elements and is the most "primitive" meteorite type known. This has had a lot of water flow though it in its past. I recently saw a very interesting article explaining that there may really be fossils in this material! Some of the evidence was along the lines of
the microbes that were fossilized were of a type that live underwater (we all know that this material would have turned to mud if it spent any time underwater after arriving on Earth) and the isotopic compositions of the `fossil" structures appeared to be non-terrestrial. I have not heard any more on this, but it is truly fascinating to think about none the less. What I have is crumbs (no surprise there), generally from small up to 4 or 5mm in size in a capsule or glass vial
1) Crumbs/ fragments in capsule/vial:
a) .05 grams - about 4mm diameter x 2.5mm deep in capsule - $125
b) .10 grams – about 4mm diameter x 5mm deep in capsule - $240
c) .25 grams – about 4mm diameter x 9mm deep in capsule - $575
d) .50 grams – 5mm diameter x 20mm glass vial filled - $1100
e) 1.0 grams – 11mm diameter x 9mm deep in glass vial - $2000
NWA 6888: Rio de Oro, Western Sahara: (Lunar meteorite). Found May 28, 2011, Tkw = 208 grams.
Here is a BRAND NEW Moon rock! This just got done with the research work, and it turned out to be really interesting! I have heard the term "collection in a slice" before, but it really applies to this stuff. This stone is classified as a "Polymict melt matrix breccia and is composed of many different mineral and rock type clasts (including granulites, anorthosites, gabbro, gabbro-norite, troctolites and VLT-like basalts) set in a devitrified glass matrix. This one meteorite seems to have a bit of pretty much all the different types of Lunar materials. The single "I've got some of that type Moon rock" Lunar specimen!
1) Slices:
a) .06 grams - 7mm x 4mm x 1mm - $65
b) .11 grams - 8mm x 6mm x 1mm - $120
c) .18 grams - 10mm x 9mm x 1mm - $195
d) .37 grams - 14mm x 10mm x 1mm - $390
e) .90 grams - 19mm x 18mm x 1mm - $900
f) 3.09 grams - 57mm x 22mm x 1mm - $2935 – complete slice.
2) End piece:
a) .13 grams – 10mm x 5mm x 2mm - $140
SEYMCHAN, Russia: (Pallasite). Found 1967. Tkw = tons, but very little true pallasite material known.
I got a few more pieces of the intensely pallasitic stuff at the Denver Spring Show and had it cut thinner. I couldn't recall if I have ever offered this material. I have offered the material with large crystals before, but I don't believe I have offered this really fine-grained material. Anyway, these have a high content of angular olivine sized from really tiny up to 5 or 6mm. These are neat pieces in that even a small specimen shows the pallasitic texture of a large slice (I often offer these to jewelers as even cabs for rings still show a good olivine/ metal mix).
1) Slices:
a) 3.3 grams - 19mm x 17mm x 2mm - $40
b) 6.6 grams - 31mm x 22mm x 2mm - $80
c) 9.8 grams - 28mm x 28mm x 3mm - $115
d) 14.2 grams - 43mm x 35mm x 2mm - $165
e) 21.0 grams - 70mm x 35mm x 2mm - $240
f) 36.7 grams - 52mm x 50mm x 3mm - $400 – lots of large crystals/ light transmittance!
2) Fantastic 6.7kg intensely pallasitic end piece – 230mm x 140mm x 120mm - $12,500 – I'd love to keep this one as my representative pallasite end piece if I had the cash (this is consigned).
DARWIN GLASS, Australia; impact glass.
I thought I was pretty much out of this material, but recently located another small bag I had set aside from long ago (probably 15 or 20 years). These are the usual dark greenish/gray irregular blobs of rough glass from the roughly 700k year old, 1 Km diameter Mount Darwin Crater in Tasmania.. Most show interesting stretch and or flow structure (I think this was a bag of the "good stuff", or at least the "better stuff").
1) Individuals/ fragments as found: Price = $2.50/g
Sizes available: 2.0g, 4.2g, 6.4g, 9.0g, 11.5g,
STONE (chondrite) METEORITE PENDANT/BEADS:
These are some really neat hand-made "beads" that I picked up in Denver. I have 2 styles – disks and hearts. They have a hole in them near their respective "tops" (near one edge of the disk and just below the V of the heart) for running a loop through for hanging on a chain. These would make a great Christmas present, so I decided to offer them now.
1) Disk shaped pendant bead: roughly 35mm diameter, 5mm thick (roughly 15 to 20 grams) - $20.00 each
2) Heart shaped pendant bead: Roughly 40mm tall x 35mm wide, 5mm thick (roughly 20 to 30 grams) - $25.00 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.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Blaine Reed Meteorites List 110
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 110
October 4, 2011
Dear Collectors,
Here is another small offering that is actually going out at the proper time for once. A couple of the items here are things I picked up at the show, but most of it is from a collection of impact materials, tektites and a some small meteorite specimens I recently received from a collector "retiring" from collecting. I will probably have special offerings of just Tektites and another of impact items (breccias/ shattercones and such) later, once I get it all organized and cataloged.
I do have one small (?) complication with this listing though – Blake is out of town for a couple days, so I will have to wait until he returns Wednesday night or Thursday mid day to send out pictures of any of this, unfortunately.
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: (Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1891.
This is a natural, as found individual (complete with all of the white caliche that was stuck to it from its 50K years in the ground). This is nothing exceptional, but it is a nice solid piece and comes with an old Excalibur-Cureton Co. label.
100.6 gram individual – 38mm x 30mm x 20mm - $60
NANTAN, China. (Medium octahedrite, IAB). Found 1958.
This is an "oxide" fragment that is actually mostly metal. It is surprisingly solid, and is not bleeding rust product goo at all! Some one let their curiosity get the better of them and hack sawed off an end of this specimen. It does indeed show a fair amount of metal in the interior (around 50% of the cut face).
93.4 gram fragment with rough cut face – 45mm x 40mm x 20mm - $15
NWA (5549) (?), Silicated iron.
This is a nice sculpted fresh (it does show some small patches of fusion crust yet) individual that was originally brought to me as "Zizz" (I had a customer for a piece of that stuff). Everyone that saw this said that this was actually the "new" silicated iron – NWA (5549). This is definitely a silicated iron. You can easily see zones of silicates (some that are quite large, one is some 40mm x 30mm) on the surface of this thing (and in bright light, some of these zones have a greenish brown almost gemmy color to them). I looked up some pictures of the known NWA (5549), and this does indeed match up perfectly!
1706 gram complete individual – 115mm x 75mm x 65mm - $5500
WOLF CREEK, Australia. Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1947.
This is a typical (but solid) "shale ball" from this impact crater. I have had a few of these over the years, but they seem to be fairly scarce at this point.
63.8 gram shale ball – 43mm x 30m x 30mm - $65
DALGETY DOWNS, Australia. (L4). Found 1941. Tkw = 474+ kilograms.
This is a part slice that was purchased from me many years ago. It is roughly square shaped and has one natural edge. This is nice material internally (it does not look like much on the exterior). It has plenty of metal in a mottled brown/ green and light tan matrix. Actually, this stuff looks very much like cut pieces of Gold Basin.
7.7 gram part slice – 20mm x 18mm x 6mm - $15
FOREST (B), Australia. (L6). Found October 1980. Tkw = 26kilograms.
This is a flat fragment with a hint of a cut are on one side, small, but large enough for me to clearly see that this is an (L6). This certainly does look like the stuff I got from Robert Haag years ago. This piece may have indeed come from him, but an info card was not included with this – just an old copy of the listing for this stone in an older version of the "Catalog of Meteorites".
7.7 gram fragment – 35mm x 25mm x 5mm - $25
GAO, Burkina Faso. (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.
This is another part slice that was purchased from me many years ago. It is nothing real special. It has the typical medium brown coloration that the more recent recoveries of this material showed internally, but it does show lots of metal including a 1mm x 7mm metal vein on one edge.
10.4 gram part slice – 24mm x 23mm x 6mm - $20
HOLBROOK, Arizona. (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a really nice complete individual as found. It has some minor dirt on spots (so it was likely not picked up right after the fall) but the crust is really fresh and black.
2.38 gram complete individual – 16mm x 11mm x 6mm - $50
JILIN, China. (H5). Fell March 8, 1976. Tkw = 4000+kilograms.
This is a nice square-shaped part slice that is very fresh (a lot of this material that came out fairly recently was quite brown in the interior). This does show minor hints of oxidation, but only in the form of brown spotting. Other than that, this is a nice light gray color.
5.5 gram part slice – 19mm x 16mm x 6mm - $30
MILLBILLILLIE, Australia: (Eucrite). Fell October 1960.
This is a really nice little end piece of the more mushy/ breccia textured portion of this meteorites (this is somewhat rarer than the intertwined crystal laths texture that has the "salt and pepper" look to it). This has full crust coverage on the back. The crust is orange stained, as most of this stuff was, but does show good flow lines and contraction cracks.
1.6 gram end piece – 20mm x 14mm x 4mm - $25
VACA MUERTA, Chile. (Mesosiderite). Found 1861.
This is a nice solid little end piece. It is not as fresh as, say NWA (2932) (boy, I wish I had bought more of that one when it was available. Now the NWA mesos are running $6 to $10/g out of the field!). but it is quite nice for Vaca. This still shows quite a lot of metal.
9.2 gram end piece – 22mm x 20mm x 10mm - $28
METEORITE WATCH:
This is a beautiful men's wrist- watch that has a gold platted Munionalusta slice for the dial. The etch on this is fantastic! The watch is done in a style similar to a Rolex Presidential, I believe. It has "diamond" highlights at 6, 9 and 12 and the date window at 3. The band is two-tone; gold and stainless. This also comes with a nice jewelry/ display box. A really nice looking watch.
Munionalusta dial men's wrist watch - $350
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 110
October 4, 2011
Dear Collectors,
Here is another small offering that is actually going out at the proper time for once. A couple of the items here are things I picked up at the show, but most of it is from a collection of impact materials, tektites and a some small meteorite specimens I recently received from a collector "retiring" from collecting. I will probably have special offerings of just Tektites and another of impact items (breccias/ shattercones and such) later, once I get it all organized and cataloged.
I do have one small (?) complication with this listing though – Blake is out of town for a couple days, so I will have to wait until he returns Wednesday night or Thursday mid day to send out pictures of any of this, unfortunately.
CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: (Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1891.
This is a natural, as found individual (complete with all of the white caliche that was stuck to it from its 50K years in the ground). This is nothing exceptional, but it is a nice solid piece and comes with an old Excalibur-Cureton Co. label.
100.6 gram individual – 38mm x 30mm x 20mm - $60
NANTAN, China. (Medium octahedrite, IAB). Found 1958.
This is an "oxide" fragment that is actually mostly metal. It is surprisingly solid, and is not bleeding rust product goo at all! Some one let their curiosity get the better of them and hack sawed off an end of this specimen. It does indeed show a fair amount of metal in the interior (around 50% of the cut face).
93.4 gram fragment with rough cut face – 45mm x 40mm x 20mm - $15
NWA (5549) (?), Silicated iron.
This is a nice sculpted fresh (it does show some small patches of fusion crust yet) individual that was originally brought to me as "Zizz" (I had a customer for a piece of that stuff). Everyone that saw this said that this was actually the "new" silicated iron – NWA (5549). This is definitely a silicated iron. You can easily see zones of silicates (some that are quite large, one is some 40mm x 30mm) on the surface of this thing (and in bright light, some of these zones have a greenish brown almost gemmy color to them). I looked up some pictures of the known NWA (5549), and this does indeed match up perfectly!
1706 gram complete individual – 115mm x 75mm x 65mm - $5500
WOLF CREEK, Australia. Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1947.
This is a typical (but solid) "shale ball" from this impact crater. I have had a few of these over the years, but they seem to be fairly scarce at this point.
63.8 gram shale ball – 43mm x 30m x 30mm - $65
DALGETY DOWNS, Australia. (L4). Found 1941. Tkw = 474+ kilograms.
This is a part slice that was purchased from me many years ago. It is roughly square shaped and has one natural edge. This is nice material internally (it does not look like much on the exterior). It has plenty of metal in a mottled brown/ green and light tan matrix. Actually, this stuff looks very much like cut pieces of Gold Basin.
7.7 gram part slice – 20mm x 18mm x 6mm - $15
FOREST (B), Australia. (L6). Found October 1980. Tkw = 26kilograms.
This is a flat fragment with a hint of a cut are on one side, small, but large enough for me to clearly see that this is an (L6). This certainly does look like the stuff I got from Robert Haag years ago. This piece may have indeed come from him, but an info card was not included with this – just an old copy of the listing for this stone in an older version of the "Catalog of Meteorites".
7.7 gram fragment – 35mm x 25mm x 5mm - $25
GAO, Burkina Faso. (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.
This is another part slice that was purchased from me many years ago. It is nothing real special. It has the typical medium brown coloration that the more recent recoveries of this material showed internally, but it does show lots of metal including a 1mm x 7mm metal vein on one edge.
10.4 gram part slice – 24mm x 23mm x 6mm - $20
HOLBROOK, Arizona. (L/LL6). Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a really nice complete individual as found. It has some minor dirt on spots (so it was likely not picked up right after the fall) but the crust is really fresh and black.
2.38 gram complete individual – 16mm x 11mm x 6mm - $50
JILIN, China. (H5). Fell March 8, 1976. Tkw = 4000+kilograms.
This is a nice square-shaped part slice that is very fresh (a lot of this material that came out fairly recently was quite brown in the interior). This does show minor hints of oxidation, but only in the form of brown spotting. Other than that, this is a nice light gray color.
5.5 gram part slice – 19mm x 16mm x 6mm - $30
MILLBILLILLIE, Australia: (Eucrite). Fell October 1960.
This is a really nice little end piece of the more mushy/ breccia textured portion of this meteorites (this is somewhat rarer than the intertwined crystal laths texture that has the "salt and pepper" look to it). This has full crust coverage on the back. The crust is orange stained, as most of this stuff was, but does show good flow lines and contraction cracks.
1.6 gram end piece – 20mm x 14mm x 4mm - $25
VACA MUERTA, Chile. (Mesosiderite). Found 1861.
This is a nice solid little end piece. It is not as fresh as, say NWA (2932) (boy, I wish I had bought more of that one when it was available. Now the NWA mesos are running $6 to $10/g out of the field!). but it is quite nice for Vaca. This still shows quite a lot of metal.
9.2 gram end piece – 22mm x 20mm x 10mm - $28
METEORITE WATCH:
This is a beautiful men's wrist- watch that has a gold platted Munionalusta slice for the dial. The etch on this is fantastic! The watch is done in a style similar to a Rolex Presidential, I believe. It has "diamond" highlights at 6, 9 and 12 and the date window at 3. The band is two-tone; gold and stainless. This also comes with a nice jewelry/ display box. A really nice looking watch.
Munionalusta dial men's wrist watch - $350
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
