9 replies to this topic

[Daveatvt01]

Hello,

 

This is my first post in the space rocks forum here. 

I recently received a ~28lb meteorite that has passed down through the family for at least two generations before me. I don't know much about meteorites, however I am excited to learn. It has a really cool shape, but its origin is unknown. I was told it should be cleaned up a little

Here are several photos from different angles:

 

 

[John Berger]

I wouldn't clean that, might bring down the price

 

that's huge for a meteorite; I've seen some just a few centimeters big and they cost hundreds

Edited by John Berger, 12 September 2024 - 11:55 PM.

[kgb]

Agree. Cleaning it will likely be a mistake. That's an awesome chuck of metal. Do you know where this was recovered?

[lee14]

A light cleaning will do no harm and will not diminish the value. Removing bits of loose rust is ok, cleaning down to bare metal is undesirable. You may have something particularly valuable here, the outward appearance looks very much like Gibeon, one of the most highly prized irons. 

 

Lee

[lee14]

Canyon Diablo is another possibility.

 

Lee

[leonardovaller]

Awesome!

If your family has roots in Arizona for generations, Canyon Diablo is the logical candidate.

With an XRF analyzer, you could verify if it matches the known metallic composition of that meteorite.

 

Iron (Fe): ~90%
Nickel (Ni): ~7%
Cobalt (Co): ~0.5%

[Daveatvt01]

Thanks, everyone! I’ll hold off on cleaning it. It’s likely been this way for decades.
The family was from the east coast, so that doesn’t help provide any clues. I have no idea where it was recovered, and remaining family has no additional information.

Something like Xrf is very interesting. I didn’t particularly want someone to cut it for analysis.

[Glassthrower]

I agree with the others above. This looks like a Gibeon or Canyon Diablo. Either way, it's a beautiful specimen and it's worth thousands on the open market. Finding out exactly what locality it comes from will increase it's appeal to buyers and it's value.

 

I am not personally interested in it, but I have a friend who is in the market for an iron like this. I can put you in touch with him if you need a buyer.

Edited by Glassthrower, 14 September 2024 - 06:58 AM.

[lee14]

XRF analysis is a good idea, but since the amount of nickel can vary only by a couple of percentage points between types, it may not prove to be definitive. It is of course invaluable in determining meteoritic vs terrestrial origin. 

 

A simple test can reveal the type of iron though, Gibeon, being a fine octahedrite has a distinctive Widmanstatten pattern which can not be mistaken for a Canyon Diablo which is a coarse octahedrite.

 

Simply remove the patina in a small relatively smooth area, 3/4 of an inch across is sufficient, ending with 400 - 600 grit sanding. Apply a dilute solution of nitric acid (easily found, it's commonly used in testing precious metals). If the pattern looks like the one in the image below, it is a fine octahedrite and quite possibly Gibeon. Canyon Diablo is a coarse octahedrite, and although the etched appearance varies widely between specimens, none of them can be confused with a fine octahedrite.

 

The specimen below was tested by the method described above to confirm its identity when I purchase it twenty years ago. It's not a perfect etch, the contrast is low, but it is adequate to confirm the specimen as a fine octahedrite.

 

Lee

 

 

 

 

[yuzameh]

28 lb and only one meteorite?  Surely 28 lb is two stones....   humour, arf, arf.