[meteorite-list] Labeling specimens

[meteoriteman at comcast.net]

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd throw in my two cents on this interesting topic. First, painting numbers on a meteorite for identification purposes is only good if you have a master sheet that translates that number into a specific meteorite. If that sheet is lost the painted number is useless.

I prefer having photo's on the master sheet along with all the pertinent information such as date of purchase, classification, weight, purchased from, etc. etc. etc. I believe that a photo is as good as a fingerprint for identification. A small label with some corresponding info and number inserted into or on the container (jem jar or riker)for smaller specimens is also helpful.

If digital photography was available back in the day, I wonder how many meteorites would have painted numbers on them. Personally purchasing a meteorite with a number painted on it would be a turn off for me. Unless it's a historic rare piece.

Cheers,
Jim K