I don't know about most of the list members, but after slicing a meteorite, I still can not tell by looking, the difference between an L and an H with a loupe or a magnet.......AND, I have been cautioned by a very professional meteorite friend to not even get into the habit of doing the guessing. So, back to having the professional with the optical and microprobe means to do the mineralology, be it large (in my opinion, not huge) sliced meteorite, or micro crumb.
Best,
Dave Freeman
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
......infamous B**** Specks....[snip]....How do you know, other than the reputation of the seller behind it?
How does the average collector know that a 50-gram slice is what the seller says it is? You, Steve, are certainly sophisticated enough to visually assess a specimen with great accuracy, and do some labwork to establish authenticity, but the "average collector" probably can't/doesn't do either. Sure, most everyone with a basic grounding in meteorites can tell the difference between all the "familiar" collectible rocks. But past that, I think that very, very few collectors can visually discern the nuances between one unfamiliar Ordinary Chondrite and the next, or do lab follow-up on purchased specimens << so that the minerology (sic) of such can be confirmed via optical and or microprobe means. >> .
So it seems unfair to me to focus solely on tiny specimens and point out the difficulty of their verification, and complain that the (subjective) reputation of the seller is the only available criterion for buying them. Reputation alone is what the majority of casual collectors must rely on for any purchase, no matter how big or small the specimens they buy.
Gregory
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