[meteorite-list] Item #2175659927 - What IF it is Iron-shale?

From: Steve Schoner <steve_schoner_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:44 2004
Message-ID: <20030524031002.16348.qmail_at_web12702.mail.yahoo.com>

--- TMS/TNS/HRC <musnat_at_alaska.net> wrote:
> Just as an FYI regarding iron meteorite vs. iron
> shale. As many of you know
> from a previous thread last year I purchased
> material from Ebay advertised
> as Canyon Diablo Meteorites, and was sent shale. My
> credit card company
> definitely made me jump through some hoops, but
> ultimately I was refunded my
> money, then temporarily charged again due to a
> rebuttal from the seller, and
> eventually with the help of several list members was
> able to put together an
> informative packet regarding iron meteorite vs. iron
> shale and received
> credit in full.
>
> The dispute never reached Ebay, as it was handled
> via Visa.
>
> The rediculous thing is that the vendor never even
> wanted his material
> back!!
>
> I agree that meteoritic shale is not worthless, and
> has some merit, but
> should be plainly advertised as such. When you buy
> Canyon Diablo
> meteorites, you do expect them to attract a magnet!!
>
> Jeannie Devon
>


Jeannie,

Meteor Crater "iron shale" is not worthless... In fact
there may very well be some pieces that are worth
hundreds of dollars per/gram...

How so?

I and Dr. John Wasson, in a project that I proposed,
but those people at MCE refused altogther, after 10
years of jumping through their ever more impossible
hoops... we had as one of our objectives collecting
ALL meteorite oxides of any appreciable size.

This was an added part of the project when Dr. Wasson
and myself were very priviledged to have seen the
original burial cyst with actual chunks of the Winona
Meteorte inside. It was very well preserved, cyst
extracted from the ground with perhaps 10 lbs of
Winona meteortes inside!

This was not on display, but tucked in a back storage
room.

Upon examining a piece, we were both struck by the
trememdous similarity to the oxide pieces found at
meteor crater. In fact, I am certain that over 25
years ago, not far from the crater I found a weird
oxide chunk with the same green stains that Winona has
as a major characteristic separating it from the much
more common meteorite shales.

Dr. Wasson expressed to me that he thinks after seeing
this, and with my report of a possible similar find at
meteor crater that Winona is a silicate fragment from
that meteorite that created the crater. In fact, he
said to me that the type of meteorite that made the
crater SHOULD have silicates... and some fragments do
in fact have some, as I had one that I sold to him
with two peanut sized silicate inclusions in it.

That Winona might be related to the meteorite that
made meteor crater is a very exciting possibllity...
one that needs to be explored.

But now, because MCE aka Bar-T-Bar is recalcitrant in
giving "official" permits to make collections, we may
never know.

But keep your eyes open... If you find in that pile of
oxides, a strange one with dark green Ni streaks, and
a somewhat lighter shade of dark tan...

Better cut it, and examine it carefully...

It could be the another definitive sample of the
Winona Meteorite... tying it with meteor crater.

And who, at any time ever spent the time to really
examine the multitudes of oxide found around the
crater? Tucked in all of that could be silicate
inclusions, disguised, and ignored...

Winonites!

The original found by observant Native Americans 900
years ago as they were hunting game around the crater.

And today such similar silicates may be overlooked and
tossed aside by all those collectors focused only on
solid iron meteortes!

What a find in the midst of that oxide such would be!

A true statement of discovery for the records!

Steve Schoner
http://www.geocites.com/meteorite_identification




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Received on Fri 23 May 2003 11:10:02 PM PDT