[meteorite-list] Heat-treating tektites

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:56 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86904EE5AE4_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Thanks, everyone, for their inputs on the effects of heating tektites.
My reason for posing the question was that a friend told me about a
mineral dealer (in Ventura County, CA, I believe) who was selling
heat-treated tektites in a variety of unusual colors. I told my
friend that it sounded suspicious to me, but that I wasn't a tektite
expert and would ask "The List". Consensus here seems to be that
the process of heating up a tektite to white hot and then letting
it cool back down produces no major color alterations. However,
I need to get back to the friend to find out if these unusual
colors were transparent or opaque. If the latter, I suppose it's
possible that someone could simply "paint" a tektite (though I
question the motives for doing so). But I can't think of a process
where you would get, say, a red or blue transparent tektite using
a moldavite as your starting point.

Thanks,
Rob
Received on Mon 29 Mar 2004 02:10:08 PM PST