[meteorite-list] OT, suspect Mo, Mark L

[E.L. Jones]

Coming in late...

I've not heard of Molybdenite in massive veins like this as it forms in 
metamorphosed sea deposits--aka Marbles in small hexagonal clusters of 
flat soft malleable crystals. While it shares a "1" in hardness with 
graphite it is harder than graphite but will still leave a streak.

It superficially resembles silicon of the type manufactured for 
industry  which I don't know the hardness of but it doesn't streak.

I am inclined to go with Molybdenum(sp) but something from a 
refining/refractory/smelting operation...aka man-made.

TRIVIA:
Incidentally the name comes from the Greek: molybdos  meaning lead.  
However the Latin for lead is  plumbdum hence the symbol of Pb and the 
career field plumber because the Roman's used lead pipes to deliver 
water to houses. Both Greek and Roman languages come from the same root 
referring to the color of lead as in lead-gray which is really a silver 
gray on a fresh surface.

We call it the lead of a pencil "lead" when it is really graphite but 
once was lead bars used to write on slate/marble slabs, however English 
"Lead" derives from the Celtic "Loud" for "Red" from the color of lead 
oxide-- and you wonder why mineral names are so difficult to decypher.

Elton

Kevin Forbes wrote:

> Hi Mark, I sat down and rubbed it hard with my thumb, polishing a flat 
> spot, it does indeed, leave black on my thumb, but not as easy as 
> MoS2. I just didn't rub it for long enough before to see if it left a 
> mark on my skin.
> Kevin. VK3UKF.
>
>