[meteorite-list] Labeling specimens:Alternate Approach

From: James Baxter <jbaxter112_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:22:26 -0500 (EST)
Message-ID: <1956411710.1681911267381345969.JavaMail.root_at_zmcs01l-pol-08.portal.webmd.com>

Hi Arnaud, Martin, et al.,

I'm with Arnaud and Martin on this one. If someone(other than Nininger) offers me a specimen with their collection number painted on it I will politely decline. To me the specimen without the number is far more aesthetically pleasing( and valuable). I, like Arnaud, photograph and record the weight of all specimens.

That being said, while photographing and describing should be sufficient documentation, it leaves a little room for uncertainty. If, heaven forbid, something should happen to the owner, there would be some effort and perhaps confusion on the part of any other person trying to document the collection.

A couple of years ago I decided to try printing 4 digit numbers in number 2(or 3) font on standard sheets of full page mailing labels. If you are suffieciently anal-retentive(as I am!)you can cut a very tiny inconspicuous label that will not affect the display appearance of even very tiny pieces or thin slices. Then just peel off the backing and gently press the label into an inconspicuous spot. None of these have come off at any point but they can easily be removed and leave no residue. I have not seen any reaction or change of the underlying surface at all so i think the adhesive is not likely to damage or alter the material. Here's an example on a very thin slice:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v614/CaneySprings/?action=view&current=label.jpg

Just another approach to consider,
Cheers, Jim Baxter


----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Altmann" <altmann at meteorite-martin.de>
To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 7:14:47 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Labeling specimens

Me too,

as a professional I'm aware of the rareness of meteoritic specimens,
sometimes they are unique and irreplaceable - and I'm aware of the often
enormous endeavours it took, to recover such stones and the circumstances
until they finally landed in my custody (yes also for the 20$-ebay-bogey).

I simply feel myself not important enough, to deteriorate a meteoritic
specimen in branding it, like a dog marks his property.

Today we have simpler and more gentle means to keep a specimen identifiable.
Take a simple digital camera, a lamp or the sun, a scale cube, a scale and a
simple data base - all that costs today almost no money.
Don't forget to print out your documentation from time to time, the
electronic data storage media aren't made for eternity.

It takes some time, yes. But more time it took for the material to form and
to travel to Earth and to be found to end in your drawer.
And more time it takes, to keep your collection free from oxidation,
and anyway a good documentation belongs to the collector's duties to curate
his meteorite collection.

To apply stickers, to paint numbers on meteorites, isn't in my eyes a modern
way of documentation and should be avoided.

Best!
Martin

-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von The
Tricottet Collection
Gesendet: Sonntag, 28. Februar 2010 10:52
An: MeteoriteList
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Labeling specimens


Hello,

I would like to disagree with everyone here. If we all start painting
numbers on meteorites, in 2-3 generations, all specimens will be full of
useless graffiti - who will know which number matches which "minor"
collection? So the problem would remain exactly the same. When I say
"minor", I mean not a lot of people have a collection which can be compared
to a Nininger, Monnig or any national museum collection! And with time, with
more maturity, what if you find your inventory numbering system inefficient,
what if you decide to change it?

Personally I will never paint anything on my collection specimens. I prefer
to take 1 or more pictures per specimen + weight + other important
characteristics, label them and keep then in different boxes.

Just my opinion,

Best,
Arnaud





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Received on Sun 28 Feb 2010 01:22:26 PM PST