[meteorite-list] Re: Canyon Diablo Diamonds

From: Steve Schoner <steve_schoner_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:35 2004
Message-ID: <20030607232116.93893.qmail_at_web12702.mail.yahoo.com>

Some time ago I mentioned that I had a Canyon Diablo
meteorite that had diamonds in it. I obtained this
many years ago, about 30 years ago in fact. It had a
very thick coating of rust and I thought that it would
be interesting to bead blast this piece to find out if
there was any Widmanstten crystals visible.
 
As I was bead blasting it with microscopic glass
beads, like the ones used by gunsmiths, I discovered
to my amazement that my notion was right. Sure
enough crystals were there, the Widmansttaten pattern
in bold relief.
 
Then I focused the spray to take off all the oxide
on three of the four faces of my sample, and I found
that the crystals were evident on all sides. Then as
I
was blasting one face I discovered that there were two
spots that would not blow away, in fact they projected
out of the surface, and even then the metal was being
eroded by the beads, so I stopped the process to see
what this area was.
 
Taking out my geologist lens I examined the largest
spot, about 3/16" x 1/8" in extent. I was amazed
again... it was a cluster of tiny tightly packed
black diamonds! And surounding this was a layer of a
bright metalic mineral.
 
And the other cluster on the same face was smaller
but the same. Both projecting out, and impervious to
the bead blasting.
 
Here are the pictures:

Picture of the entire specimen with bead blasted
surface with pen pointing to black diamond. The
raised Widmansttaten pattern is clearly visible.
 
http://www.geocities.com/american_meteorite_survey/dia.jpg
 
A close up photo with an Intel Play digital microscope
set at 10 x. Black diamond cluster in the center

http://www.geocities.com/american_meteorite_survey/dia1.jpg
 
Another close up photo of the same area, but from a
diferent angle
 
http://www.geocities.com/american_meteorite_survey/dia2.jpg
 

Steve Schoner
http://www.geocities.com/american_meteorite_survey
 
P.S. If you don't have a good digital cameral that
can zoom in on specimens, I highly suggest that you
consider the Intel Play microscope.
 
It's a toy, no doubt, but it sure can take digital
pictures of tiny specimens, even Bessey's "specks."
 


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Received on Sat 07 Jun 2003 07:21:16 PM PDT