[meteorite-list] Another fake name, serious business

From: Jeff Grossman <jgrossman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Nov 17 07:05:23 2004
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20041117065432.02960ec0_at_gsvaresm02.er.usgs.gov>

I don't know if this will help, but maybe it would be a good idea if you
dealers start keeping good records of how meteorites are divided and
labeling specimens accordingly. So when you get a new meteorite named and
you own the whole thing, begin numbering the subspecimens you prepare in
the way that JSC does, by adding a comma and a split number. You can then
sell something as NWA 3133,10. At least then an educated buyer could tell
the difference between a "pedigreed" sample and one with suspicious origins.

I know this doesn't help for the thousands of NWA meteorites already sold,
but maybe this will help in future cases.

Jeff

Dr. Jeffrey N. Grossman
Chair, Meteorite Nomenclature Committee (Meteoritical Society)
US Geological Survey
954 National Center
Reston, VA 20192, USA
Phone: (703) 648-6184 fax: (703) 648-6383
Received on Wed 17 Nov 2004 07:05:18 AM PST