[meteorite-list] A new Ni-rich ungrouped ataxite : NWA 6167

[Zelimir Gabelica]

Hi List,

I can't help but recommend that Fabien's strange 
iron showing a peculiar morphology that adds to its intrinsic beauty.

Ensisheim has always been a place where you can 
spend hours of leisure wandering through tables 
browsing intelligently and with patience to track 
the rare, weird or showy piece of meteorite (beware of cramps and backache!).
You may understand that, as "busy organizer", I 
almost never happened to do so, to my greatest regret.
I therefore use to select "by instinct" some "hot spots" in the rooms to hunt.

This time, I was luckily attracted by the dull 
shine of that iron discretely deposited on the 
table of Fabien. The main mass (end cut of 95.5 
g) resembled, from the outer side, a platinum 
nugget (this comparison possibly came to my mind 
as a subliminal message because I spotted "Pt" 
air "Ir" and "Re" on its descriptive label).
I left his table with, in my pocket, a 15+ g end 
section of NWA 6167 showing both the "Pt-like" 
exterior and a shiny cut side involving two small 
holes and two 4 mm "sinks" filled of pure olivine (!).

The message here is that true meteorite 
aficionados are almost always rewarded in an 
Ensisheim, Tucson, Denver or Munich-like assembly.
If a meteorite picture worths a thousand words, 
spotting and handling a true piece is worth thousands pics.

Thanks to all visitors, "old salts" & newcomers, 
for your visit, friendly smile, funny behaving and trust.
Despite sad rumors regarding rain and 
temperature, the weather finally fairly well 
co-operated and many appreciated the relatively 
fresh air that apparently "catalyzed" more vivid transactions....
Thanks also Peter, Hanno...for your always appreciated ambience pics!

Looking forward to seeing most of you again next Thursday in Ste Marie...

Zelimir


At 08:36 22/06/2010, Fabien Kuntz wrote:
>Hello list,
>
>after a presentation in Ensisheim, I offer here for sale the four last
>specimens of my newest iron, NWA 6167, ungrouped ataxite, TKW 500g :
>
>NWA 6167 : This is a Ni-rich ataxite showing a 
>very homogeneous metal made of a
>very fine intergrowth of Ni-rich and Ni-poor metal arranged into a
>"micro-Widmanstatten" pattern. Sub-millimetric globules made of a
>very fine intergrowth of Ni-rich metal, Ni-poor 
>metal, schreibersite, chromite and
>troilite are relatively frequent. They probably represent shock-melted
>sulfides. Several interesting inclusions, prevailing olivine and low-Ca
>pyroxene and subordinate plagioclase, high-Ca pyroxene, Ca-phosphate and
>chromite, are present in this meteorite. It is ungrouped and very high in Ni
>and Co but also in Ge, Re, W, Ir and Pt. The only two meteorites somewhat
>resembling 6167 are the ungrouped Ni-rich ataxites Babb's Mill (Troost's Iron)
>and South Byron. Looking at the external surface, it seems that this meteorite
>has some fusion crust preserved.
>
>Available specimens are complete slices :
>
>27.09g
>27.49g with the largest silicated inclusions (3 of circa 5-6mm each)
>27.54g
>
>Also available, the main mass, an nose-shaped 
>endcut, of this oriented iron, 95.5g...
>Exemple of
>
>a slice (expertly etched and pictured by Mirko Graul) :
>
>http://i64.servimg.com/u/f64/09/04/34/12/20100410.jpg
>
>Fabien Kuntz
>Météorites (ventes, expertise, conférences)
>Animation scientifique et technique
>WWMETEORITES (Siret : 511 850 612 00017)
>www.wwmeteorites.com
>
>
>
>
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Prof. Zelimir Gabelica
Université de Haute Alsace
ENSCMu, Lab. GSEC,
3, Rue A. Werner,
F-68093 Mulhouse Cedex, France
Tel: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 94
Fax: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 15