[meteorite-list] Beginner Collection-suggestions

From: E.J <jonee_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:33 2004
Message-ID: <3F95E2B3.9000104_at_epix.net>

Hello Vishnu!

Welcome to the list. I am confident that some of the folks here would
put together a collection for you in exchange for a sample of Orissa.
I see Bregory gave you some good links already.

Speaking of stones from India, one of my favorite meteorites is
Parnallee, India (District ukn.) Fall, 1860. It is an LL-3. It is
packed full of multicolored chondrules some of them are armored--meaning
that they are coated by a layer of nickel-iron and look like little
halos in cross section. I consider it a classic for several reasons.
It is available on the market if you watch for a while ( No I am not
selling mine so this isn't pre-sell hype)

You can go to one of the auctions such as Ebay there are usually around
300-500 meteorites there on any given day. Or look over the web pages
of our many dealers on this list at Meteorite Central's Links page.

After reading up on the different categories, you'll know more what is
available. Personally I think 10-15 is a good direction for the
average person to start with prices are very economical. All of these
are available in micromounts 1- 2 grams or less For most any budget,
my list starter list for would include:

Irons: $3-$15ea. Gibeon, Canyon Diablo(aka Meteor Crater),
Sikhote-Alin, Odessa -- especially Sikhote-Alin These are what people
think of when they think of meteorites and a new find has made it easy
to get really nice ones.

Stony:
Common Chondrites: $1-$5ea Take your pick, but get an H, L, and LL. At
least try to get one in the 3 -4 range and 5-6 range to see the
differences between the 3s to 6s. When you get the hang of these Follow
up with and R and E class.

Carbonaceous Chondrites: Allende is the what most start with but
several types are available now and you can collect any of the 8(?) or
so clans of Carbonaceous Chondrites.

Achondrites:
HED's/A: Howardites, Eucrites, Dioginites and Aubrites such as Mt
Edgerton, Tatahouine, Pena Blanca Springs, Norton County or many
NWA(North West Africa). The Howardites are a bit more pricey and are
an asteroid-soil mix of many other meteorites types. You can get a
small piece for under $30.

Planetary: Shop around for a piece from Mars. In time, look to add one
of the lunar meteorites. In the past year several different variations
of these are on the market.

Stony Irons-
Pallestites and Mesosiderites: Vaca Muerta, Huckitta, Brahin or
Brenham. All under $15-20

While you can get them, invest in a larger-sized meteorite Iron or Stony
whole meteorite (fist or egg sized) $30-$60
Good Collecting!

Regards,
Elton
Received on Tue 21 Oct 2003 09:51:47 PM PDT