I apologize for this Off-Topic subject, but I would
like to take this opportunity to personally thank Troy
Bell, for his
efforts in trying to determine the
origin of a particular type of
meteor-wrong that is
commonly seen on eBay. Troy found his first
specimen
in the gravel of a parking lot near where he lives in
Texas. When Troy told me that the gravel was a
typical "slag",
I told him to try and find more of
this LBR (Little Black Rock) and to
take some samples
of the slag gravel. He found 2 more "little
black
rocks", which he sent to me, along with samples of the
slag
gravel.
My examination confirmed that the LBRs and the slag
have a common
origin. In addition, these LBRs are
made from the same material
that I have encountered
numerous times from people wanting their
"meteorites"
identified. And I'm sure many on this List have
encountered this, as well. Lately, a third of the
meteor-wrongs that I have encountered are of this
"sulfide-rich"
material. Although there appears to be
various sources for this
material, I have always
contended that this was waste material from an
ore
smelting process [slag]. But now, Troy's observant
eye has
found the "smoking gun" evidence that confirms
that this material is a
slag.
This confirmation also raises the concern that some of
these LBRs
could have elevated concentrations of
arsenic and lead.
The following images show a cut surface of this
material.
Because of the above concern, BE ADVISED -
to never DRY cut or grind
this material, and to treat
the cuttings and coolant with caution.
Image #1:
<http://www.geocities.com/bolidechaser/troybell.jpg>
The interior "looks like" a natural sulfide mineral
with a highly
specular, metallic luster. But it is
not a metal. Mostly
crystalline with needle-shaped
laths (an atypical crystal habit for
sulfides). The
exterior has a patina. Having been exposed to
the
forces of weathering, and over time, the sulfide-rich
rock has
formed a black tarnish.
Image #2:
<http://www.geocities.com/bolidechaser/tbell-cu.jpg>
Close-up of the cut surface. Locally vesicular;
cavities will show
cleavage for these synthetic
(man-made) crystals. There are some
inclusions of
melted silicates.
As mentioned earlier, this kind of meteor-wrong has
long been seen on
eBay, but typically being auctioned
as "Arizona ?? Meteorite"!!
I
couldn't find any current "meteorite" auction like
this, but this
"mineral" auction looks like the same
kind of material, but without the
black tarnish:
<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2108278605>
Now that it has been identified, my curiosity about
this material has
been satisfied, and I will now move
on to the next "mystery rock"
(hopefully, it will be a
real meteorite;-). But in the meanwhile,
it may prove
beneficial (since this stuff is so widespread) to have
this "identified" material on a meteor-wrong web page
in order to
educate future meteor-wrong sellers.
Bob V.
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