[meteorite-list] [AD] Sikhote Old Collection Pieces

From: Notkin <geoking_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Sep 21 23:41:25 2005
Message-ID: <BB3FF123-2B1A-11DA-98BD-000393593854_at_notkin.net>

Dear Listees:

Well, in-between co-auctioneering with the mighty Mike Jensen and
helping coordinate the raffle, I did have a little time to shop at the
Denver show. Thanks to a tip from a good friend, I had the opportunity
to purchase some outstanding Sikhote-Alins from an old collection. As
most of you well know, the vast majority of Sikhotes get wire brushed
somewhere between the field and your display cabinet. An unfortunately
high percentage of these have also been treated with an oxidizing agent
to simulate fusion crust. Although the final result is very attractive,
this process obviously strips away the original fusion crust, along
with any patina and/or rust and sometimes flow lines as well.

I greatly prefer irons with their original patina -- think of those
ochre/bronze Gibeons, and red Henburys. In many years of collecting
Sikhotes I have only managed to acquire three small individuals with a
natural field patina, and one of these has a Russian Academy of
Sciences label (thank you Rob Wesel!).

In Denver I connected with a dealer who had a small quantity of really
beautiful Sikhotes from an old Russian collection. Most of these have
100% natural patina with original fusion crust showing through; one has
been partially cleaned, and the one that has been completely cleaned is
oriented, covered with small detailed regmaglypts and has a fine
natural hole. It looks like a devil or witch's head in silhouette.

I am only speculating here, but it's my educated guess that these
pieces were collected during an early Russian expedition to
Sikhote-Alin, and at the same time as my Russian Academy of Sciences
piece, as the patinas are identical and there is no rust present.
Pieces collected in the field today are rusty, hence the heavy wire
brushing. They have been in the ground for 58 years, after all.

These specimens weren't cheap, but I bought the whole lot assuming that
I'm not the only one who appreciates irons in their natural state.
Also, I couldn't bear the thought of some joker wire brushing these
beauties.

Even if you're not buying, please check out the photos. These are rare
historic pieces and you might not see their like again:

http://www.aerolite.org/sikhote-alin-special.htm


Regards to all,

Geoff N.
Received on Wed 21 Sep 2005 11:41:17 PM PDT