[meteorite-list] nice gao specimens only

From: Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:19:55 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <203778.72856.qm_at_web33115.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Dirk, my Gao stones are cleaned with a bead blaster
using tiny glass beads. It does not change the stone,
it removes the soil which is embedded in the thick
fusion crust on gao. I have never seen a painted one,
although I did see one moron soak some in motor oil
(the slimy exterior and smell gave that one away).
I have nearly 40 kilograms of Gao, 90% of which is
uncleaned, so let the buyer decide what they like,
that is what makes the world go round.
Michael Farmer
--- drtanuki <drtanuki at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear List, Sorry this was meant for the List as
> well
> as Dougao.
> >
> > Dear Dougao and List,
> > Doug you asked a very interesting question.
> Many
> > Gaos (NOT ALL) have been cleaned by using an air
> > abrasion tool. Some even have been painted a nice
> > shade of black using charcoal grill paint and
> > others
> > painted with an airbrush.
> > I cannot comment on Steve`s collection as I
> have
> > not seen them personally. I agree with you Doug
> > that
> > the meteorite should not be tampered with by
> > cleaning;
> > but this is my/our personal preference and NOT
> what
> > sells. Most customers want new-looking black
> fusion
> > crust IF at all possible. I agree with Doug that
> > Steve should add a naturally aged Gao IF he truly
> > wants to represent Gao in his collection.
> > Good job Steve; and thanks Doug for your
> > comments!!!
> >
> > Sincerely, Dirk Ross...Tokyo
> >
> >
> > --- MexicoDoug <MexicoDoug at aim.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Steve and List,
> > >
> > > I just had a little fun browsing around your
> > > Gao-Guenie collection pages.
> > > It was quite enjoyable and I wanted you to know
> > that
> > > your efforts to put
> > > together the web pages are appreciated. My
> > favorite
> > > photo is of the 137.5
> > > gram specimen.
> > >
> > > I do have one comment where I am in disagreement
> -
> > > apparently with most of
> > > the collecting community. That would your
> > > preference to buy them only
> > > "cleaned". Not having the experience with the
> > > Gao-Guenie you have, I
> > > wouldn't know how they are being "cleaned".
> (And
> > > would like to know the
> > > whole Geschichte on "HOW NOW BROWN GAO?") But
> it
> > > doesn't look like it is
> > > with a superficial passing of a clean rag.
> While
> > > scientifically cleaning is
> > > generally a "no-no", in the case of Gao-Guenie,
> I
> > > doubt this is really very
> > > crucial as there must be over a ton of this
> > > meteorite to go around and study
> > > for those so inclined. But this is not an Iron
> > > meteorite where cleaning can
> > > actually be important for the preservation - as
> > you
> > > mentioned, it is simply
> > > an H5 stony chondrite.
> > >
> > > As the world's major Buyer of Gao-Guenie, you
> > > actually are influencing the
> > > major sources then to clean their specimens.
> May
> > I
> > > suggest you add
> > > uncleaned stones to your Gao Museum as well, for
> > > those of us who enjoy
> > > gawking at your world class acquisitions, there
> is
> > > something missing when we
> > > can only see artificially spiffed up crust
> > > everywhere when we also love to
> > > see the meteorites more as they are found
> in-situ.
> >
> > > I personally think your
> > > collection comes up short because it is missing
> a
> > > nice, large Gao-Guenie
> > > recently found with killer orientation
> > > characteristics visible.
> > >
> > > True, when they originally fell, they were
> rather
> > > dark crusted, but the
> > > stones on your page, in some cases look even
> > darker
> > > than the natural fresh
> > > fusion crust color and like some NWA's that have
> > > artificially sandblasted
> > > black crusts. As I mentioned, there is enough
> > > Gao-Guenie to go around so
> > > there is room for both cleaned and uncleaned
> > > specimens. But why should we
> > > rub all of our meteorites with generic Botox and
> > not
> > > see them for the
> > > beauties they naturally are and the way the
> occur
> > at
> > > the locality? As a
> > > collector I think careless cleaning reminds us
> of
> > > the the guy who finds a
> > > cache of ancient coins and scrubs them down
> with
> > a
> > > wire brush so they
> > > glitter more than the original metal ever did.
> > Can
> > > you imagine Bob Haag
> > > having scrubbed the Adamana Stone down to black?
>
> > I
> > > am sure some of the
> > > detail in the delicate flow patterns would have
> > been
> > > forever lost.
> > >
> > > Let's put some scientific "Witnessed" back in
> the
> > > fall before seeing how the
> > > witness falls upon examination. That is my
> > opinion
> > > on your fantastic
> > > collection of photos of Gao. I have a small,
> > > natural "unclean" Gao-Guenie
> > > specimen that is fully crusted, but it is
> clearly
> > > out of the major league,
> > > so I won't bother posting it to save face and
> not
> > > being laughed off the
> > > list. Nice job - I hope you consider my
> comments
> > > and discuss your opinion,
> > > highly valued by dealers, regarding cleaning
> your
> > > Gaos.
> > >
> > > Best Health and Great Health,
> > > Dougao
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "steve arnold"
> <stevenarnold60120 at yahoo.com>
> > > To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 7:03 AM
> > > Subject: [meteorite-list] nice gao specimens
> only
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi dirk,ryan and list.No ryan I am not hording
> > gao
> > > to
> > > > up the price per gram.LOL!!And dirk is
> > right.Even
> > > > though he said he had 20 kilo's of nice gao,I
> > > would
> > > > not buy it.Because at this time I could not
> > afford
> > > it
> > > > all at once.I am buying nice pieces a few
> > speimens
> > > at
> > > > a time.Also ryan if you noticed,I am only
> buying
> > > 95%
> > > > or fusion crusted pieces.NO FRAGMENTS.NO
> > > SLICES!Only
> > > > really nicely cleaned pieces that look really
> > well
> > > in
> > > > a collection.I also did not think dirk would
> > sell
> > > his
> > > > anyway.He is to sly for that.And right now for
> > me
> > > gao
> > > > is very affordable.And trust me ryan.I KNOW
> > THERE
> > > ARE
> > > > MANY NICE METEORITES ARE OUT THERE.It also
> makes
> > > > knowing that you mostly onlt spending your
> money
> > > on 1
>
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Received on Tue 27 Mar 2007 12:19:55 PM PDT