[meteorite-list] Opinion - Purple in a Meteorite

From: Mark Langenfeld <mlangen_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Sep 30 10:22:52 2005
Message-ID: <200509301422.j8UEMnmO088162_at_mail1.mx.voyager.net>

Pete:

Given that you are looking into a small vug or cavity in the inclusion,
my best guess is you're looking at a thin, iridescent coating on the
face of a tiny euhedral troilite crystal. Such purple/blue iridescence
is relatively common in terrestrial pyrites/marcasites and other sulfide
minerals.

Mark

>
>
> Hello, all,
>
> I've mentioned before that my interest in meteorites is new, and have
just
> started collecting.
>
> I've enjoyed buying quantities of (very affordable) Unclassified NWA's
from
> some fellow list members, then cutting, polishing, and spending hours
> looking at them through my recently acquired stereoscope microscope. A
whole
> new appreciation for chondrules when they're in 3-D!
>
> Getting to the point; one stone I recently cut, and polished down to a
400
> grit wet sand cloth, then examined through the microscope, revealed
that one
> metallic area (troilite?) has a cavity, and in the cavity is a very
vibrant
> purple to navy blue substance.
>
> http://pskills.onfinite.com/album/185698/628054/
>
> http://pskills.onfinite.com/album/185698/628055/
>
> The only information I've turned up on the internet thus far indicates
that
> sodium chloride in meteorites is purple and blue, but it's been found
just
> in the matrix.
>
> Is it more likely that this substance is some type of oxide that
formed in a
> manner similar to a geode?
> I can't imagine salt forming or surviving inside a metallic area like
this.
>
> I have some more close-up pics in hi-res , if required.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Pete
>
>
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Received on Fri 30 Sep 2005 10:22:49 AM PDT