[meteorite-list] NWA 2918 CO3.0 reclassification

[David Weir]

Hello Adam,

I just wanted to bring to your attention the new MetSoc abstract written 
by Jeff Grossman et al. which disputes the initial classification of 
your CO3.0 NWA 2918, and argues that it's actually a CO3.1. I see that 
you still have this meteorite for sale on ebay as a CO3.0 and I'm sure 
you'll want to include this correction in your accompanying description 
(see below) for the benefit of the potential buyer. Obviously the new 
stricter standards to which you refer are not the strictest in use. When 
I bought my two small pieces of this one from you I admit I was 
speculating that it would hold up as a rare CO3.0 comparable to the only 
known CO3.0, ALHA77307, especially based on your description, but a 
CO3.1 is not bad either. The abstract can be viewed here:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2006/pdf/5283.pdf

Since this was not published in a peer-reviewed journal perhaps Jeff 
Grossman is wrong, time will tell. Keep up the great work in finding us 
new rare material Adam.

Regards,

David
meteoritestudies.com
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BRAND NEW-NWA 2918 Intensely Rare CO3.0 Meteorite .752g

.752 gram end cut of Northwest Africa 2918, a CO3.0, S1, W2 Ornans type 
carbonaceous chondrite found 2005 in the Sahara desert. The perfect 3.0 
subtype is exceeding rare among all types of chondrites but is the 
ultimate rarity among CO type chondrites with only one other 
non-Antarctic meteorite listed in the Catalog of Meteorites which is 
named Colony. NWA 2918 was graded using the new stricter standards so it 
is now the only perfect 3.0 in private hands that I am aware of since 
Colony was slightly downgraded to a 3.0-3.1 using the same new 
standards. The only other perfect 3.0 is an Antarctic piece named ALH 
77307, which is not available to the public. Only one stone was found 
and it weighed only 237 grams making it an intensely rare specimen.