1515Art Posted August 3, 2015 Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 I'm no expert on meteorites and what I know would not fill a tea spoon in an ocean of information and am really sorry about the quality of the pictures, my photography skills are not much better than my detecting ones. I was very cautious about calling this one a meteorite when I found it, just threw it in my pocket not being sure if it was a piece of slag or cast iron. when I got home and washed it up i could see it infused with clear yellow crystals, all of the light yellow rust orange areas are transparent crystal spots in the metal. you can also see with a loop the thumb printing in the non burn crusted areas and a difference in the rust patterns in the nickel iron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515Art Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 I hope these are better pictures, they show the fusion crust and two areas where larger crystals have broken off probably during impact, fragments of the crystal remain although heat damaged. you can also see lines remaining on the metal from the crystal in the empty pockets. other pictures show the many small crystals intermixed in the metal, some of the rust patterns are also visible in these pictures I hope, it may also be a lot easier for me to see because I want to... anyway I think it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Hi, Art; I am no expert either. However, the texture of the rock does not appear to be similar to any stoney/iron meteorite I have seen or handled. You should take the piece to your local college and ask for an opinion. Donot let anyone take it from you. Or you could go to Bill Southern's meteorite forum and ask for opinions from some real knowledgable people... If it is any type of stoney/iron meteorite there is likey more in the area. It would also be a very rare type...hopefully you recorded the gps location. fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515Art Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Hi Fred, I found this piece late in the day, when the lightning started I got in my car and was going to go home the rain was also coming down very heavy. As I was driving the weather cleared and I began checking new locations. By chance I marked a waypoint on my gps a few feet away because I was interested in returning for other reasons near by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LipCa Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I see quartz in that rock.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515Art Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Hi LipCa, Jury is still out, it has very interesting things going on and it will be fun trying to find out exactly what it is and I appreciate any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515Art Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 I see quartz in that rock....Quartz from what I've read is not associated w/meteorites, I also have read heat damage may alter the crystals although I'm not sure in what ways outside my own experiments with minerals and gemstone in one of my ceramic kilns which produces similar results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515Art Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 OK final analysis on the supposed meteorite is that it is sadly not, but for the edification of all interested it is most likely rutile with small zircon crystals and possibly some quartz as well... good eye LipCa! Was doing some more reading and zircon crystals are frequently dull grey and square as well as rust colored patches and the more gem quality are of course transparent and multi colored. this all matches for a small chunk of zircon crystals possibly some quartz and rutile on a brown matrix and NOT meteorite. This is what I love about this... I'm learning all kinds of stuff you couldn't shove down my throat when I was in school and now I can't wait to crack a book! Thanks again for all the help, now I can't wait to go find something else... ok gold i hope. (gee... the more i look at all this stuff the more it all looks alike) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasong Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 For what its worth, the one you found in Rye Patch looks like a candidate to me from your pics even if this one in this post isn't. Hopefully that one turns out. Meteorites definitely aren't my area though, not until NYMEX creates a commodities exchange for them at least. I ran into zircon too when I kept coming up with a dull silverly looking powder in my dredge concentrates and was hoping for platinum. Finally got it XRF'ed and figured out what it was, and under the microscope you could tell it wasn't silvery powder but actual mini crystals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515Art Posted August 6, 2015 Author Share Posted August 6, 2015 Jasong, I posted it today a told everyone to be brutal, so far its generating some discussion and not an immediate reject... i am happy about that. I'm learning more for next time so all is good in the hunt and either way i love it. I might go back to look for more of the zircon brown matrix stuff, there might be a specimen worth collecting to be found and it gives me something else to look for while I'm not finding gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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