I've found a (comparitively) large (+/-5 lb meteorite) in my back yard (western Nevada) and am wondering if it has value. It is
1. roughly 128mm wide x 137mm tall x 76mm thick;
2. has distinct, scalloped regmaglypts on the main face and other faces to some extent;
3. has a smooth, almost shiny metallic black patina/ crust all over it with some very slight rust (oxidation) showing;
4. is magnetic and affects a compass passed around it;
5. is quite heavy/dense for its size (not porous at all).

I'm pretty sure it is not from this property as the previous owner was quite the rockhound.

Do I get lab tests run and what kind? Thin slices? I have no idea what to do with this thing but, by all the stuff I've seen for sale, it is VERY unique indeed.

picture plus there are forums dedicated to meteorites [www.meteoritesusa.com]
who may be of more assistance

Firstly, very unique? as opposed to just slightly unique? :)

Ok. 99.9% of things people think are meteorites end up being something very terrestrial. You really need to get it examined by someone to identify it properly. Absolutely no point discussing value until that's done.

No, it's not going to help much sending a photo. Take it to a museum.

Jolyon

Well...it's bigger than your average grapefruit, weighs 6-1/4 lbs, has marks in it like somebody dragged their fingers through wet clay so it's kinda special around this house. heh heh heh... Thanks for the help tho. Have some feelers out already for some testing and expert help on the matter.
Tex

found rock greenish with melted iron flow out of center. Melted round hole in rock also.

Would need to post a picture at the very least.

the 99,99% of " I think its a meteorite " I have control in at 12 years I work on meteorites its result hematite, marcasite, slags, limonite etc... only in 2 case its confirmed the meteorite origin

Mindat Page

[www.mindat.org]


Attrezzatura e tecnica sono solo l'inizio. È il fotografo che conta più di tutto. (John Hedgecoe)

eso pienso yo tambiem,siempre deseamos lo que no tenemos,y en eso estamos,´´ pensando,´´ que lo que parece, es en realidad lo que no tenemos.un meteorito.

for me its a fusion slag

Mindat Page

[www.mindat.org]


Attrezzatura e tecnica sono solo l'inizio. È il fotografo che conta più di tutto. (John Hedgecoe)

Yes, slag.

Hi Tex

you wrote
is magnetic and affects a compass passed around it

That to me that indicates magnetite. So to find out for sure do a streak test. Just take a piece of white unglazed porcelain and scratch the piece on it. It should give you a very diagnostic colored streak. It will be steel gray if it is magnetite. If you don't have a piece of porcelain just use the back side of your toilet bowl lid. If yours is not white then go to your local hardware store and buy a cheap white bathroom/kitchen tile.

For best results you might try to streak a "fresh" interior piece. Because one of the mineralogical components of fusion crust is magnetite.


Let us know the results.

Mike Jensen
Colorado USA

I'm no meteorite expert but I have a small collection and the picture does not resemble a meteorite to me, the regmaglypts you mentioned dont look like the regmaglypts ive seen on other photos of meteorites, and the ones on my sikhote alin, also i see what looks like some kind of vesicle, like a popped bubble, i dont think these are seen in meteorites, but are certtainy visible in pieces of slag, there can be lots of types of slag, some are glassy and some are metallic so that would explain the magnetism.
When i was younger i used to find lots of this weird shaped heavy metallic stuff and was convinced it was meteorites, the fact that where i live was built around the railway industry and i always used to find it near the railworks sort of slipped my attention, i was young and excited about my "meteorites" but soon discovered it was just slag!
I say i am not an expert but i do know a little bit more than the average person who doesnt collect meteorites, I was able to confidently id a meteor"wrong" for a freind of a freind, he was conviced he had a meteorite and i took one look at it and told him its a pyrite (or marcasite) nodule, they are found in chalk in my area, i didnt mention that at first and waited to see what he said, he was still convinced he had a meteorite so i said, i bet you found this in chalk didnt you and he said "uh yeah, how did you know?" I told him if he broke it open he would see rays of greenish brassy pyrite radiating out from the centre, i dont know if he did that but he certianly quit insisting it was a meteorite after i said that.
not that I took any enjoyment in telling him he doesnt have a meteorite, i know from my slag experience what ist liek to be disapointed when you find out you dont have what you think you have!, but he wanted to know, and I wasnt going to lie about it just to make him happy!