[meteorite-list] Self Proclaimed Pairings Issues (SPPI)

[stan .]

>when there is a way to be sure you're getting
>the real deal and the IMCA are helping in that regard.


well thats the thing. following 'the rules' as Adam put it isnt a sure fire 
was of making sure you have a 100% guagantee of buying what you thought you 
were buying. There have been many cases of 'musical classifications' in the 
past and this will continue in the future.

Furthermore when a new find is classified that consists of many stones / 
fragments TYPICALLY a type specimin is not provided for each and every 
single fragment of meteorite recovered. What does that mean? well from one 
extreem it means that the holder of the find is self pairing all of the 
material to that of the rock that the type specimin came from or at best a 
researcher is doing a cursory examination of all the fragments, but not the 
full battery of tests that are required to confirm an 'offical' pairing.

The typical procedure is that any mass reported before a classification is 
published becomes 'official' - if it is not reported in time then a whole 
slew of testing must be preformed to verify a pairing - testing that is not 
required for specimins that do not have a type specimin submitted for if 
they are reported in time. This is the root of most discontent with the 
whole 'number' game.