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Help Needed Identify If This Is A Meteorite


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I have cut probably a few hundred probable stones, both with dremmel and rock saw, 99 % of the time it's nothing, but that 1% could pay off.... A guy named Robert Verish who found a Martian meteorite ( Los Angeles 001) , did the same in California, he just can't remember the exact spot he found it, because it was thrown together with all his probables.

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Hi Glenn,

  Im not even close to an expert, more like lifelong amature,  but the new pics you provided do not really look to promising, I dont see any Chondrules in your window you grinded. Could you get it looked at in person at the Colorado School of mines in Denver, I think they have a few floors of meteorites there. Or a local University Geology department?

Dave

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I have to agree with Dave on this one, Glenn; the cut face doesn't look like a meteorite.... more like some sort of fine-grained igneous rock. But it wouldn't hurt to have a professional take a look at it anyway. 

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At this point Glenn, if your specimen is a meteorite, it would be an achondrite; they have no metal or chondrules and are much more rare and valuable than ordinary chondrites. But the odds are stacked against you. Best of luck!

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/4/2017 at 0:26 AM, Glenn in CO said:

I will take both specimens to the Colorado School of Mines and see what they say, Thank you Lunk and Dave for your advice and help. I will keep you updated.

I took both specimens yesterday to the Colorado School of Mines and had Bruce Geller who is the Museum Director for identification and you were both correct, they were not meteorites. The specimens were identified as ferromanganese. Ferromanganese is used as a deoxidizer for steel production. Thanks again for your help!

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Thank you Glenn! Too often these sorts of questions get asked, and no final answer is forthcoming. You are that rare guy to do just that, and now we all just a little bit more about what can be found in the field. Thanks again.

http://meteorite-identification.com/Hot Rocks/ferromanganese.html

http://www.apratiminternational.com/ferro-alloys.html

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Thanks! Steve for the additional information. When I found the specimens I thought for sure I had meteorites and reading through the information you provided I wasn't the only out thinking they had the real thing. Unfortunately in the area where I live I will probably find more. The best thing that came out of this is the knowledge that a person gains through the process of finding the answer to the question. The help from people on this forum makes this forum one of the best out there whether they are a novice or seasoned detectorists.

 

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