[meteorite-list] African Moldavite
From: mafer_at_domafer.com <mafer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:53:33 2004 Message-ID: <00f701c29ff4$a5576540$6401a8c0_at_vs.shawcable.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00F4_01C29FB1.9650CA20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Norm and List I went on a hunt after I posted my question which was, to say the least, = my thinking out and not adding up the evidence. I also found many sources for this "African Moldavite" with prices that = rival real moldavites. What this does come under is the gemstone and = jewelry laws. African Moldavite is not a trade name, but a conjured = name. It can only be a trade name if it is created to mimic something = else like cz is (diamondell and other such trade names). This material, = without closer examination appears to be a glass from the chemical = description one site refers to. As to the volcanic in origin, maybe, it = reminds me of olivine in the one pick of a "rough" piece. As for water = worn, well, if its from a rough piece that the "locals carefully trim to = expose the prize material", then its sold as water worn, I have to = wonder where the tumbler got into the picture to smooth it over and why = isn't it mentioned?.=20 I realize this is off subject, but it also points out the extent that = some will go to in order to scam the unwitting public (especially those = involved in reiki, metaphysics and so on), on something they apparently = don't know the laws governing, in order to make such a small amount of = money compared to the fines/prison time and lawsuits they can face.=20 Its hard enough in this day and age to remove material with the = permission of the local gov (especially meteorites), much less doing so = and doing it with the intent to deceive. I apologize to the list for causing such a uproar, but thanks for = helping me get my thinking correct on things. Mark ----- Original Message -----=20 From: N Lehrman=20 To: mafer_at_domafer.com ; meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com=20 Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 10:11 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] African Moldavite Mark/List, Second try---I responded earlier to mark, but failed to get the = message out to the whole list. From Mark's subsequent messages, it = appears that the sellers are being a bit more open, but still not so on = eBay. Buyer beware! =20 I have corresponded with the folks selling faceted "Tanzanian = tektites" on eBay. There is not a shred of solid evidence that their = material is what they claim. They found some peculiar emerald green = material in river alluvium, saw moldavites in some gemstone book and got = the idea. Some college prof (virtually none of whom ever have any = training in tektites---) told them they might be tektites. =20 I have begged the sellers to at least qualify their claims with an = appropriate expression of uncertainty. I see nothing dishonest about = letting people gamble on uncertain material so long as they know they = are gambling. At this point there is still no solid evidence that the = material is not what they claim (other than the obvious fact that the = term "Moldavite" is wrong in any case). If they should happen to be = right, the specimens could be very valuable. However, with no solid = data one way or the other, the odds are strongly against them. The only = assured tektites from the entire African continent are the hundred or so = specimens from the Ivory Coast (which are jet black like Indochinites). = If I thought there was any good reason to hope that this material might = be real, I would be first to bid! I haven't. =20 Since the sellers have refused to add these suggested qualifiers to = their eBay listings, I can only conclude that they are now making a = conscious choice to be dishonest (or less than honest), which tells you = something. =20 Cheers, Merry Solstice and a Happy New Orbit to all! =20 Norm Lehrman (TektiteSource.com) ----- Original Message -----=20 From: mafer_at_domafer.com=20 To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20 Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 7:25 PM Subject: [meteorite-list] African Moldavite Hi Folks I'm wondering if any of you seasoned and knowledgable people know = anything about African Moldavite? Thanks Mark ------=_NextPart_000_00F4_01C29FB1.9650CA20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Norm and List</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I went on a hunt after I posted my question which = was, to say=20 the least, my thinking out and not adding up the evidence.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I also found many sources for this "African = Moldavite" with=20 prices that rival real moldavites. What this does come under is the = gemstone and=20 jewelry laws. African Moldavite is not a trade name, but a conjured = name. It can=20 only be a trade name if it is created to mimic something else like cz is = (diamondell and other such trade names). This material, without closer=20 examination appears to be a glass from the chemical description one site = refers=20 to. As to the volcanic in origin, maybe, it reminds me of olivine in the = one=20 pick of a "rough" piece. As for water worn, well, if its from a rough = piece that=20 the "locals carefully trim to expose the prize material", then its sold = as water=20 worn, I have to wonder where the tumbler got into the picture to smooth = it over=20 and why isn't it mentioned?. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I realize this is off subject, but it also points = out the=20 extent that some will go to in order to scam the unwitting public = (especially=20 those involved in reiki, metaphysics and so on), on something they = apparently=20 don't know the laws governing</FONT>, <FONT size=3D2>in order to make = such a small=20 amount of money compared to the fines/prison time and lawsuits they can = face.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Its hard enough in this day and age to remove = material with=20 the permission of the local gov (especially meteorites), much less doing = so and=20 doing it with the intent to deceive.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I apologize to the list for causing such a uproar, = but thanks=20 for helping me get my thinking correct on things.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Mark</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:nlehrman_at_nvbell.net" title=3Dnlehrman@nvbell.net>N = Lehrman</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href=3D"mailto:mafer_at_domafer.com"=20 title=3Dmafer_at_domafer.com>mafer@domafer.com</A> ; <A=20 href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com"=20 = title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>meteorite-list@meteoritecentr= al.com</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 09, 2002 = 10:11=20 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [meteorite-list] = African=20 Moldavite</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Mark/List,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><EM>Second try---I responded earlier to mark, but failed to get = the=20 message out to the whole list. From Mark's subsequent messages, = it=20 appears that the sellers are being a bit more open, but still not so = on=20 eBay. Buyer beware!</EM></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I have corresponded with the folks selling faceted = "Tanzanian tektites" on eBay. There is not a shred of solid = evidence=20 that their material is what they claim. They found some peculiar = emerald=20 green material in river alluvium, saw moldavites in some gemstone book = and got=20 the idea. Some college prof (virtually none of whom ever have = any=20 training in tektites---) told them they might be = tektites.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I have begged the sellers to at least qualify = their claims=20 with an appropriate expression of uncertainty. I see nothing = dishonest=20 about letting people gamble on uncertain material so long as they know = they=20 are gambling. At this point there is still no solid evidence = that the=20 material is <EM>not</EM> what they claim (other than the obvious fact = that the=20 term "Moldavite" is wrong in any case). If they should happen to = be=20 right, the specimens could be very valuable. However, with no = solid data=20 one way or the other, the odds are strongly against them. The = only=20 assured tektites from the entire African continent are the hundred or = so=20 specimens from the Ivory Coast (which are jet black like = Indochinites). =20 If I thought there was any good reason to hope that this material = might be=20 real, I would be first to bid! I haven't.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Since the sellers have refused to add these = suggested=20 qualifiers to their eBay listings, I can only conclude that they are = now=20 making a conscious choice to be dishonest (or less than honest), which = tells=20 you something. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Cheers, Merry Solstice and a Happy New Orbit to=20 all!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Norm Lehrman</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>(TektiteSource.com)</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:mafer_at_domafer.com"=20 title=3Dmafer_at_domafer.com>mafer@domafer.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com"=20 = title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>meteorite-list@meteoritecentr= al.com</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, December 07, = 2002 7:25=20 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] = African=20 Moldavite</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Folks</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I'm wondering if any of you seasoned and = knowledgable=20 people know anything about African Moldavite?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Thanks</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT = size=3D2>Mark</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_00F4_01C29FB1.9650CA20-- Received on Mon 09 Dec 2002 09:34:19 PM PST |
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