[meteorite-list] Re: "Bessey Specks"

From: E.P. Grondine <epgrondine_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Oct 17 19:06:33 2006
Message-ID: <20061017230622.36957.qmail_at_web36911.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Hi Doug -

You left out childrens gift from among the uses of
Bessey Specks - the "wow" effect of specks of Mars and
the Moon on them is pretty good -

good hunting -
Ed


--- MexicoDoug <MexicoDoug_at_aim.com> wrote:

> Hello Adam, Listees,
>
> Bessey Speck
> (1) A commercially marketed, submillimeter-sized,
> granular or irregular,
> intentionally broken petreus meteoritical fragment
> which collectors prize as
> a token possession of an expensive meteorite or of
> one with limited
> distribution, typically used more as a
> conversational piece or to
> satisfactorily fill a primal participatatory
> instinct for collection and
> coat-tailing on the "wow-effect" of possession of
> the parent specimen.
> Compare to "Particle", "Stardust", "Crumb", "Micro"
> and "Micromount".
> (2) Any, almost microscopic-sized particle
> originating from a larger (macro)
> meteorite specimen.
>
> Note, I'm not disagreeing with Adam' response to Ed
> in the sense that the
> term micromount is a term in the toolbox, although I
> think the word particle
> is more descriptive for most of our uses. I am
> agreeing with Michael Blood
> that the term Bessey Speck has a place.
>
> The questionably honorific term "Bessey Speck" seems
> like a much more
> descriptive term to me than micromount for many
> collectors. To me a
> "micromount" implies some sort of serious grand plan
> of scientific
> investigation or illustration of specific
> attributes. Size alone doesn't
> count, as much as purpose. For example, Stardust
> particles are not
> micromounts unless prepared that way despite Adam's
> definition, and they are
> not Bessey Specks, though micro-Besseyspeckies are
> certainly hypothetically
> possible.
>
> "Bessey Speck" consideres that not all particles
> commercially sold in venues
> like eBay find scientific use regardless of who is
> doing the selling. That's
> where Bessey Speck is a unique and interesting term.
> Adam's definition
> clearly has the weighted meaning toward a usually
> higher "scientific" use in
> observing material properties: appreciation with
> binocular microscope,
> better developed crystals, etc... The short comment
> in that definition
> "obtaining for less," especially given the profit
> and pleasure motives
> between buyers and sellers, really seems quite out
> of place to me. Adam's
> post wasn't clear, at least for me, if he disagreed
> with the use of the term
> Bessey Speck or just was offering Ed an alternate
> (which I definitely agree
> with Adam in doing).
>
> I am not comfortable with the term micromount being
> more properly used for
> specimens purposefully shattered into small bits
> with a sledge for the
> unadulterated and pure pleasure of collectors
> filling holes in their
> collections, a majority of which are not "better
> appreciating" their samples
> in a binocular microscope which many don't have nor
> have too much motivation
> to get.
>
> Didn't "Bessey Speck" usage start with Dean's Mars
> rock sales many years
> before most of our times? I am trying to remember
> Kevin Kitchinka's
> comments in "The Art of Meteorite Collecting" (don't
> have handy here) where
> an explanation of the etymology of this colorful
> term was published and my
> Mars' comment references. Bessey Specks, though,
> gets the point across much
> better for me! It's ll in the intended use and
> market. While I don' think
> a "Micromount" is an appropiate common sense
> description for something not
> carefully prepared and mounted to exhibit some
> characteristic, heck - if
> their not even carefully mounted...
>
> So, unless Dean objects to being immortalized in
> this fashion, that is my 2
> centavos.
> Doug
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Adam Hupe" <raremeteorites_at_comcast.net>
> To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:53 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Re: "Bessey Specks"
>
>
> The term micromount has been used for decades to
> describe this type of
> specimen.
>
> Micromount:
>
> Micromount is term used by mineral collectors and
> rockhounds to describe
> mineral specimens that are best appreciated using a
> binocular microscope.
> Micromount specimen collecting has a number of
> advantages, specimens take up
> less space, rare minerals can be obtained for less
> and smaller crystals are
> more perfectly developed.
>
>
> All the best,
>
> Adam
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "E.P. Grondine" <epgrondine_at_yahoo.com>
> To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:07 AM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Re: "Bessey Specks"
>
>
> > Hi Michael, list -
> >
> > I see you list your Bessey Specks as "frags".
> >
> > (Your price of $25 seems very fair for Nakla
> specks,
> > but I already picked up Mars Bessey Specks for
> > childrens' gifts at Christmas from Hupe.)
> >
> > Clearly, there is a need for a more elegant term
> than
> > "Bessey Specks" for these. Does anybody have any
> > proposals? If not, is Dean(?-stroke damage) Bessey
> > going to be immortalized by having these formally
> > named after him?
> >
> > Hupe also sent the Bessey specks in small tubes
> > suitable for young hands, along with 1 nice pair
> of
> > cards (BTW I need a second pair of cards for the
> > second set of tubes, Greg), instead of gelatin
> > capsules.
> >
> > Perhaps microscope slides would be more suitable
> for
> > adult use, but as I don't remember any discussion
> of
> > these on the list, I'm bringing it up now.
> >
> > good hunting -
> > Ed
> >
> > --- Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_cox.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Greetings fellow space treasure lovers,
> >> This post includes a fabulous, large
> iron
> >> and an entire new
> >> page of historic calls.
> >>
> >> FIRST:
> >> A beautiful 6.5 Kg / 14.3 Lb S-A Shrapnel piece
> that
> >> appears for all
> >> the world to be an oriented shield on one side
> and a
> >> flat, oriented
> >> specimen heading to the left in a downward angle
> on
> >> the other side.
> >> This piece includes an custom build
> display
> >> stand to facilitate
> >> a very impressive display of its virtues.
> >> If no one snaps this up on sale it will
> go
> >> into my catalog
> >> at $3,250- but the first to contact me will take
> it
> >> in this sale for 2,750-
> >> (price includes shipping and insurance inside the
> >> US)
> >> This spectacular piece can be seen at:
> >>
> >>
> http://community.webshots.com/album/554884324rEfSPa
> >>
> >> SECOND:
> >> I have set up an entire page dedicated to hammers
> ?
> >> meteorites that have
> >> struck man made objects, animals or humans. This
> is
> >> a collection of the
> >> most impressive of all the recorded meteorite
> falls
> >> in history. I have 35
> >> different recorded falls (including Bessey Specks
> of
> >> Sylacauga, Yurtuk and
> >> Burnwell). About half of the falls can also be
> found
> >> elsewhere with diligent
> >> searching ? and you will find my prices are as
> low
> >> as anyone's. The others
> >> cannot be had anywhere else. They are priced
> >> according to cost. This page
> >> is
> >> worth checking out even if you don't want to buy
> >> anything ? it was 5 years
> >> in the making and includes historical photos,
> links,
> >> etc. See at the URL
> >> below:
> >>
> >>
> http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/Hammers.html
> >>
> >> Pieces on the Hammer page will be marked "SOLD"
> as
> >> orders come in ?
> >> so, if it is still listed when you email me, it
> is
> >> available.
> >>
> >> PayPal preferred (sent to this email
> >> address) Visa/Mastercard
> >> and personal checks gladly accepted.
> >> Happy Hunting! Michael
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
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>
>
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Received on Tue 17 Oct 2006 07:06:22 PM PDT