[meteorite-list] Opinion - Purple in a Meteorite

[Norm Lehrman]

Pete,

I don't know if it's been reported in meteorites, but
if this was earth material, my first guess would be
vivianite, a hydrous iron phosphate.  It can look
exactly like that (and is often photosensitive: with
exposure to sunlight it will darken and often turn
dark green).

Maybe someone on the list knows or can check their
references regarding vivianite in meteorites.

Cheers,
Norm
(http://tektitesource.com)

--- Pete Pete <rsvp321 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> Hello, all,
> 
> I've mentioned before that my interest in meteorites
> is new, and have just 
> started collecting.
> 
> I've enjoyed buying quantities of (very affordable)
> Unclassified NWA's from 
> some fellow list members, then cutting, polishing,
> and spending hours 
> looking at them through my recently acquired
> stereoscope microscope. A whole 
> new appreciation for chondrules when they're in 3-D!
> 
> Getting to the point; one stone I recently cut, and
> polished down to a 400 
> grit wet sand cloth, then examined through the
> microscope, revealed that one 
> metallic area (troilite?) has a cavity, and in the
> cavity is a very vibrant 
> purple to navy blue substance.
> 
> http://pskills.onfinite.com/album/185698/628054/
> 
> http://pskills.onfinite.com/album/185698/628055/
> 
> The only information I've turned up on the internet
> thus far indicates that 
> sodium chloride in meteorites is purple and blue,
> but it's been found just 
> in the matrix.
> 
> Is it more likely that this substance is some type
> of oxide that formed in a 
> manner similar to a geode?
> I can't imagine salt forming or surviving inside a
> metallic area like this.
> 
> I have some more close-up pics in hi-res , if
> required.
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Pete
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>