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

[Notkin]

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.