[meteorite-list] eBay Puzzle Rock, Again- The Answer
From: Rob and Colleen <iguana_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:41:57 2004 Message-ID: <3A5A6B56.D1263195_at_pcez.com> --------------1F56136A094380AC60D7D854 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello list- I have been quite involved with this material for about a year now. Some time ago, I won a Yahoo auction for a small piece of this sold without benefit of any description for just a few bucks. It was sold by a second party who was owed money by the finder, a Mr. Jim David. After initial inspection, my assumption was that it was a terrestrial hematite or magnetite. Next a made a phone call to the seller who told me that Mr. David was an amateur geologist who was out prospecting gold in California's Sweetwater mountain range when he found these. This was all he knew and apparently the seller was given these to auction these as partial payment on an outstanding debt. He gave me Mr. David's phone number so I could talk to him about it. Mr. David explained that he knew nothing about meteorites and that based on this find he purchased a copy of Rocks From Space to help confirm his hypothesis. The find was made along with others in a comma-shaped "strewnfield" ,exact location not disclosed after he read up on the Old Woman Meteorite, using a metal detector. They ranged in size from a grape to a basketball and each was found ~18" deep under a sandstone mantle. He spoke of regmaglypts and Widmanstatten lines and, in one specimen, olivine crystals. He explained his dire financial strain to me and asked if I knew any buyers. At this point I mentioned that they didn't appear to meteorite to me which he took offense to and began reading page after page from Norton's book to me. I told him I would ask Al Rubin to look at it. In the meantime he sent more samples, at my expense, hoping I could line up buyers. The samples came and the "olivine" looked more like quartz that had been covered in moss for years (though I am no geologist) and no widmanstatten structures were noted in the slices he sent despite his assurance that no etching was needed to see these. Al's report confirmed magnetite. Again I phoned Mr. David and again he read and read and read pointing out that Henbury looks "exactly like these" and referred me to Norton's color plate of the Canyon Diablo covered in magnetite before tumbling. I took a large one and cut it in half, NO FRESH METAL. The guy is relentless and hired himself this Tim Berger to give his opinion, albeit incorrect. I still get mail and collect calls form this guy trying to convince me they are meteorites. By this time he's gotta know they are not. This is the first auction I have seen in about 8 months so his finances must be even thinner to sell something he knows is fake. The seller is not Mr. David as I know he doesn't own a computer. I've got a lot of this if anybody wants some. Nice meteorwrongs. Rob Wesel David Freeman wrote: > Dear Kelly (and List); > I agree with you, from what is said, and what is not said, it may appear > that Mr. Berger (the geologist ??), is stoned...err...has rocks in his > head. Looks like another wonderful olivine basalt to me. I think some > geologists get taken up with themselves and forget that they are ...just > terrestial geologists. > Another case of wishing IT IS a falling star. > Best Rocks, > Dave F. > > Kelly Webb wrote: > > > Hi, List, > > > > Here's another puzzling whatzit on eBay. Is it a right or a wrong? > > It certainly is a generous and serendipitious stone, filling a gully > > with irons, stoney-irons, AND tektites, according to the poster! It > > makes me wonder why the heavens didn't throw a few pallasites in there, > > too. > > > > http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=537996532 > > > > Comments? > > > > Kelly Webb > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Meteorite-list mailing list > > Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > -- > ----------------------------------------------------- > Click here for Free Video!! > http://www.gohip.com/free_video/ > > _______________________________________________ > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list --------------1F56136A094380AC60D7D854 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <HTML> Hello list- <BR>I have been quite involved with this material for about a year now. Some time ago, I won a Yahoo auction for a small piece of this sold without benefit of any description for just a few bucks. It was sold by a second party who was owed money by the finder, a Mr. Jim David. After initial inspection, my assumption was that it was a terrestrial hematite or magnetite. Next a made a phone call to the seller who told me that Mr. David was an amateur geologist who was out prospecting gold in California's Sweetwater mountain range when he found these. This was all he knew and apparently the seller was given these to auction these as partial payment on an outstanding debt. He gave me Mr. David's phone number so I could talk to him about it. Mr. David explained that he knew nothing about meteorites and that based on this find he purchased a copy of Rocks From Space to help confirm his hypothesis. The find was made along with others in a comma-shaped "strewnfield" ,exact location not disclosed after he read up on the Old Woman Meteorite, using a metal detector. They ranged in size from a grape to a basketball and each was found ~18" deep under a sandstone mantle. He spoke of regmaglypts and Widmanstatten lines and, in one specimen, olivine crystals. He explained his dire financial strain to me and asked if I knew any buyers. At this point I mentioned that they didn't appear to meteorite to me which he took offense to and began reading page after page from Norton's book to me. I told him I would ask Al Rubin to look at it. In the meantime he sent more samples, at my expense, hoping I could line up buyers. The samples came and the "olivine" looked more like quartz that had been covered in moss for years (though I am no geologist) and no widmanstatten structures were noted in the slices he sent despite his assurance that no etching was needed to see these. Al's report confirmed magnetite. Again I phoned Mr. David and again he read and read and read pointing out that Henbury looks "exactly like these" and referred me to Norton's color plate of the Canyon Diablo covered in magnetite before tumbling. I took a large one and cut it in half, NO FRESH METAL. The guy is relentless and hired himself this Tim Berger to give his opinion, albeit incorrect. I still get mail and collect calls form this guy trying to convince me they are meteorites. By this time he's gotta know they are not. This is the first auction I have seen in about 8 months so his finances must be even thinner to sell something he knows is fake. The seller is not Mr. David as I know he doesn't own a computer. I've got a lot of this if anybody wants some. Nice meteorwrongs. <BR>Rob Wesel <P>David Freeman wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Dear Kelly (and List); <BR>I agree with you, from what is said, and what is not said, it may appear <BR>that Mr. Berger (the geologist ??), is stoned...err...has rocks in his <BR>head. Looks like another wonderful olivine basalt to me. I think some <BR>geologists get taken up with themselves and forget that they are ...just <BR>terrestial geologists. <BR>Another case of wishing IT IS a falling star. <BR>Best Rocks, <BR>Dave F. <P>Kelly Webb wrote: <P>> Hi, List, <BR>> <BR>> Here's another puzzling whatzit on eBay. Is it a right or a wrong? <BR>> It certainly is a generous and serendipitious stone, filling a gully <BR>> with irons, stoney-irons, AND tektites, according to the poster! It <BR>> makes me wonder why the heavens didn't throw a few pallasites in there, <BR>> too. <BR>> <BR>> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=537996532">http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=537996532</A> <BR>> <BR>> Comments? <BR>> <BR>> Kelly Webb <BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________ <BR>> Meteorite-list mailing list <BR>> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com <BR>> <A HREF="http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list">http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list</A> <P>-- <BR>----------------------------------------------------- <BR>Click here for Free Video!! <BR><A HREF="http://www.gohip.com/free_video/">http://www.gohip.com/free_video/</A> <P>_______________________________________________ <BR>Meteorite-list mailing list <BR>Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com <BR><A HREF="http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list">http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list</A></BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML> --------------1F56136A094380AC60D7D854-- Received on Mon 08 Jan 2001 08:37:27 PM PST |
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