[meteorite-list] RE:"Aventura del Monte Meteorite"

From: Steve Schoner <schoner_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Apr 14 14:33:46 2006
Message-ID: <20060414.075856.12386.576512_at_webmail45.nyc.untd.com>

Mark and all,

Just looking at that photo, I would say that that is obviously a meteorite. In fact it looks similar to Sikhote-Alin. The grey scratch test would indicate magnetite, but fusion crust is magnetite. You have to get a piece of metal. Cut and polish the face of the fragment, etch and see what pattern emerges.

But from the photo, I would be down there right away and take a look at it.

(But I can't drive anymore)

If the owner can end the auction and send me a fragment, about the size of a walnut, I can do a thin-section if it is a stone and or an iron etch. If I think it is a meteorite I will begin the classification process. I think that he needs to know if this is a meteorite and if so, based on the weight it could be worth his while to know the details of it before he puts it on e-Bay. In fact, for a specimen that size, he needs to have no doubt that it is a meteorite and that will have a big impact on it's value.

Ending the auction till he gets the answer is okay with eBay. The excuse for him is that he wishes to know for sure that this is what he says it is.

Steve Schoner/AMS
IMCA #4470
American Meteorite Survey
P.O. Box 1003
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

(I am surprised that Arnold has not jumped on this)


[meteorite-list] "Aventura del Monte Meteorite"

MARK BOSTICK
Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:26:41 -0700

Hello Everyone,

Re: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6620167638

Today, I met the seller of the auction that has been in question, by me and several others today. Was able to examine it, take photographs, but I was not able to declare it a meteorite, or a meteor-wrong. Me and the seller had came to an agreement that if I thought it was a meteor-wrong, he would end it, and I do not at all believe he is trying to cheap anyone. However, since I was unable to declare it a positive meteor-wrong, it is up to him what he does with the specimen.

You will note yesterday, to the Meteorite Central, I labeled it in title, "Mexican Meteor Wrong in Wichita". In my many communications I have given it several names, including "Wichita Meteorite", but there is a Wichita meteorite, this was not found here, and I am associated with the Wichita meteorite, a very beautiful stone and so I didn't like that title either, nor do I have a good title for it, outside of "specimen", which is what I will use in the rest of this report. The owner was being elusive in my many e-mails with him, which further gave me suspicion, since I had not seen it, so after my 15-16 e-mails...I started more calling it Meteor Wrong. Here I used the sellers title as I lack a good name for it.

Now I have seen the specimen and here are my thoughts.


It is my opinion that the specimen is not a meteorite still, however I would like to have cut a piece and do a nickel and acid test before I really could say much more then I am now, or send a piece off to UCLA for an opinion much better then mine. Unknown irons can be funny as some of you know. The seller needs money right now and although I have pointed out the advantages of having it classified, if it is a meteorite I could help him make it worth a lot more, if it is a meteor wrong, it would keep him from ripping someone off, as he does not have it declared as a possible meteorite.

One big problem is it failed the streak test. It streaked gray VERY easily. This is enough to keep me from buying it without further study, which looks like will have to happen from the buyer. Also according to the owner the specimen has not been cleaned or treated in any way. And it does not have the surface characteristics one would expect from a meteorite straight from the field. There is also some red coloring I can't account for, it the owners statement of having not cleaned or treated it is correct. I commented on this to a few people I was in contact with and no one else seemed to see the color in the auction. Magnetite and Hematite, the two most common meteor wrong are usually found associated with other minerals and rocks. And therefore many of the meteor wrongs I have seen that were magnetite or hematite were associated with other minerals and one thing that seems common to me is red coloring on parts of the surface. Perhaps that is why it was easier for me to see in the auction then for others but
 you will see a good example of this in one or two of the photographs I will provide as well.

However, the regmaglypts look much better in person then in the photographs. It does look oriented somewhat, at least from one view I will provide, and there are sections of the stone that almost appear to be triolite inclusions, which I will also show. My rare earth magnet really liked it, giving a pull very comparable to the Canyon Diablo I brought along....one of several example meteorites I carried. It also has the weight I would expect from a meteorite. The most flat side I wanted a good photo of and it was someone difficult for my brother and another person to hold it setting on one side while I took several images to insure I got a good image. I have also never had a magnetite or hematite stone appear as magnetic as Canyon Diablo. If it is not a meteorite, it is the best meteor-wrong I have ever seen. These are the reasons I will not declare it a meteor-wrong.

If a list member does read this, I would be very interested in learning classification results, should they choose to classify it....which I think they should. And I will answer any questions that anyone has directed to me as best I can, however for the most part I feel my role in this specimen is now over. I am not the owner, seller, bidder and I am not going to try to have the auction ended, an option I was looking at when he was being very elusive.

And now, the photographs I took. Which show its real color and are much better then those provided by the seller.

http://www.meteoritearticles.com/aventura.html

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas
www.meteoritearticles.com
www.imca.cc


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Received on Fri 14 Apr 2006 10:58:17 AM PDT