[meteorite-list] Russian meteorites-- don't take them for granite!

From: Peter Davidson <P.Davidson_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:47:23 -0000
Message-ID: <D7171847AEFC6A4893D80C75E547E271010EF8CA_at_nmsmail02.nms2k.int>

Darryl

Thanks for the message. As it happens we have no material from NWA at
all. When I took over the collection, I quickly discovered that there
was no official acquisition policy for the Museum's meteorite
collection. Most large museums have policies like this which define
specific areas of interest in which curators concentrate their
acquisition activities. This usually, not unreasonably, means Scottish
material - but not exclusively so. Non-Scottish material can be acquired
for a large number of very good reasons.

One of the tasks I have set myself for the next year is to draw up an
official acquisition policy for our meteorite collection. This will
focus on two areas, 1) Scottish material and 2) significant gaps in the
systematic collection, for instance Lunars (we have none) and NWA's

I attend a number of Mineral Shows every year and in 2009 I was
fortunate to attend the Ensisheim Show. At these shows I take the
opportunity to ask dealers and collectors about the market. At one of
these shows, I was alerted by a dealer, who is also now a good friend,
about the dangers of the NWA market. With this in mind, I have become a
little wary about making and purchases or recommendations. If the time
comes when I can begin to make purchases for the collection, I will rely
heavily on the good a advice and experience of those dealers and
collectors I have come to trust.

Have a great weekend

Peter Davidson
Curator of Minerals
 
National Museums Collection Centre
National Museums Scotland
242 West Granton Road
Edinburgh
EH5 1JA
Phone: +44 131 247 4283
p.davidson at nms.ac.uk
www.nms.ac.uk
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Darryl Pitt [mailto:darryl at dof3.com]
Sent: 12 February 2010 14:27
To: Peter Davidson
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Russian meteorites-- don't take them for
granite!



Greetings Peter,

Out of curiosity, does your national collection include NWAs?

All best / Darryl



On Feb 12, 2010, at 4:27 AM, Peter Davidson wrote:

> Dear All
>
> It is interesting that Darren should raise this topic now. Yesterday
> afternoon (Thursday 11th), I was contacted by the BBC and asked to
> comment on this very item and also to say something about the illegal
> trade in meteorites.
>
> I also took the opportunity to inform them of the situation in Sudan
> regarding the arrest of "illegal" collectors.
>
> It goes without saying that, as a National Museum, we have to be
> absolutely certain that any purchase we make is checked out and that
> the
> vendor has legal title to the object he/she is selling - this goes for
> any potential accession whether it is a priceless antique or
> artefact, a
> piece of technology such as an old radio set or railway engine, or a
> mineral/meteorite. It would be a disaster if we were knowingly to buy
> anything that is in any way "dodgy". The result of this is that we are
> no longer approached by sellers or dealers with this type of material.
> This means that I am not that knowledgeable on the illegal trade in
> meteorites. I know it goes on - I am not blind - but I have no first
> hand experience.
>
> What this matter does show is that the media are now picking up on
> this
> trade and raising awareness of it to a new level. Much like they did
> with the illegal collecting and trading in fossils and minerals. It
> will
> never stop it, but it does make everyone in the business, or it
> should,
> a little more wary.
>
> Have a great weekend
>
> Peter Davidson
> Curator of Minerals
>
> National Museums Collection Centre
> National Museums Scotland
> 242 West Granton Road
> Edinburgh
> EH5 1JA
> Phone: +44 131 247 4283
> p.davidson at nms.ac.uk
> www.nms.ac.uk
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of
> Darren
> Garrison
> Sent: 11 February 2010 19:45
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Russian meteorites-- don't take them for
> granite!
>
>
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gHt4NoeWwYXIjlcyAaDow
> vFEK-FA
>
> Russia nabs meteorite smuggling ring
>
> (AFP) - 7 hours ago
>
> MOSCOW - Amid a huge bounty of contraband goods seized recently at a
> Russian
> airport, one far-out find floored customs officials: chunks of
> meteorite.
>
> "On the customs declaration, the smugglers identified it as granite
> for
> construction and decoration of office space," Larisa Ledovskikh, a
> spokeswoman
> for customs at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, told AFP on Thursday.
>
> "But our officials could see it was clearly not granite!"
>
> The two smugglers -- who also tried to ship out silver antiques,
> fossils,
> semi-precious stones, microscopes and old books in the suspect cargo
> --
> were
> initially charged with making a false declaration on their customs
> form.
>
> Only after a three-month investigation did officials discover that the
> mystery
> lumps were fragments from outer space and the men part of a larger
> crime
> ring
> including experts and scientists, Ledovskikh said.
>
> "They were part of an organized criminal gang. They had worked out a
> plan in
> advance to smuggle out of Russian territory and to the Czech
> Republic...
> two
> meteorite chunks, each weighing 100 grams," she said.
>
> The two men were arrested on Sunday and charged with contraband, a
> sentence that
> carries a maximum of 12 years in prison in Russia.
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Meet Your Maker, the creative minds behind Scotland's crafts. National Museum of Scotland, 29 January - 14 March. www.nms.ac.uk/maker

National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130
This communication is intended for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please inform the sender and delete the email from your system. The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of National Museums Scotland. This message is subject to the Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. No liability is accepted for any harm that may be caused to your systems or data by this message.
Received on Fri 12 Feb 2010 09:47:23 AM PST