[meteorite-list] NWA 6704 Specimens - AD

Tue May 31 13:47:01 EDT 2011

Dear List Members,

I announced a 'most intriguing' New Ungrouped Achondrite earlier this 
morning, Northwest Africa 6704. Please find below a listing of what is 
currently available. Concerning pricing, I asked a few people what they 
thought this meteorite should be priced at considering the special 
characteristics it holds;
1) Ungrouped and Scientifically important.
2) Numerous bubble trains that are currently under analysis to see if there 
is still any gases trapped within some.
3) Very fresh and attractive matrix.
4) Rare minerals such as Awaruite and Very High nickel content in the metal 
inclusions!

A price range of $100-150.00 per gram was suggested for polished slices but 
I decided I wanted to offer NWA 6704 at a deeply discounted price to List 
Members. I will be offering it for less than half that amount for my initial 
public offering here. If future analysis identifies trapped gases or even 
'atmosphere' from the parent body, you can be sure I will be raising prices 
in the future. Along with the steeply discounted Special price, I am also 
going to include a Free Gift that you will see at the end of the specimen 
list below.

NWA 6704 has a very dense matrix which polishes to a high luster, making for 
a very collectible meteorite. After cutting, polishing, providing type 
samples and preserving the majority in a single main mass, there is a 
limited amount available to collectors and museums. Each professionally 
prepared specimen comes with a color ID card from The Hupé Collection and 
will be shipped in a plastic display case, Riker-style box or Gem Jar, 
depending on size of specimen, larger fragments will be shipped without 
display case.

Available Specimens (14 slices, 1 end cut, 26 fragments and 1 Main Mass):

20.03g Slice
75mm x 44mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0001.jpg

19.26g Slice
71mm x 40 x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0002.jpg

19.2g Slice
71mm x 36mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0003.jpg

18.92g (This slice is the only one that has been stabilized with removable 
adhesive to see how it looked)
74mm x 47mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0004.jpg

18.1g Slice
76mm x 41mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0005.jpg

17.98g Slice
72mm x 40mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0006.jpg

16.93g Slice
65mm x 48mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0007.jpg

15.78g Slice
64mm x 46mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0008.jpg

15.74g Slice
70mm x 47mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0009.jpg

15.67g Slice
72mm x 38mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0010.jpg

14.5g Slice
71mm x 46mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0011.jpg

15.10g Slice
67mm x 44mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0012.jpg

13.31g Slice
64mm x 40mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0013.jpg

12.06g Slice
61mm x 35mm x 2mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0014.jpg

76.4g End Cut
(Only piece of NWA 6704 that has a 'patch' of fusion crust, from original 
490-gram piece)
(I will be asking a premium on this one)
68mm x 36mm x 27mm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0015.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0016.jpg

63.5g Fragment
45mm x 42mm x 23mm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0017.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0018.jpg

58.4g Fragment
59mm x 36mm x 17mm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0019.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0020.jpg

38.6g Fragment
28mm x 27mm x 22mm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0021.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0022.jpg

23.8g Fragment
30mm x 21mm x 16mm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0023.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0024.jpg

22.5g Fragment
32mm x 25mm x 15mm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0025.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0026.jpg

11.2g Fragment
30mm x 18mm x 12mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0027.jpg

9.334g Fragment
22mm x 20mm x 11mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0028.jpg

8.058g Fragment
25mm x 16mm x 19mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0029.jpg

6.7g Fragment
23mm x 18mm x 10mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0030.jpg

6.386g Fragment
20mm x 15mm x 10mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0031.jpg

5.446g Fragment
20mm x 18mm x 5mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0032.jpg

4.09g Fragment
26mm x 10mm x 7mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0033.jpg

3.988g Fragment
18mm x 12mm x 10mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0034.jpg

2.912g Fragment
12mm x 12mm x 10mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0035.jpg

2.416g Fragment
11mm x 11mm x 7mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0036.jpg

2.404g Fragment
17mm x 8mm x 5mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0037.jpg

2.322g Fragment
12mm x 11mm x 5mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0038.jpg

1.148g Fragment
11mm x 10mm x 6mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0039.jpg

922mg Fragment
11mm x 6mm x 6mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0040.jpg

814mg Fragment
10mm x 6mm x 7mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0041.jpg

802g Fragment
10mm x 8mm x 6mm
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/slices_frags/IMG_0042.jpg

2023-gram Main Mass
12.5cm x 10.5cm x 9cm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0001.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0002.jpg
3) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0003.jpg

548-gram Fragment
11cm x 8.25cm x 4cm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0004.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0005.jpg
3) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0006.jpg

447-gram Fragment (This piece has one tiny 4mm spot of fusion crust, no 
other pieces have any other than the end cut listed above)
11.75cm x 6.5cm x 5cm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0007.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0008.jpg
3) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0009.jpg

395-gram Fragment
9.5cm x 5cm x 4.75cm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0010.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0011.jpg

374-gram Fragment
10.5cm x 8cm x 3cm
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0012.jpg
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0013.jpg

144-gram Fragment
1) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0014.jpg (Notice visible 
metal on exterior!)
2) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0015.jpg
3) http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/masses/IMG_0016.jpg

Special FREE Offers to List Members (limit one per person):
Purchases over $200.00 will receive a Polished Black 1cm "Hupé" scale cube 
made of Tungsten Carbide, comes w/ velvet bag ($40.00 Value!)
see image here take with exterior surface of NWA 6704: 
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/HupeCubeBlack.jpg

Purchases over $350.00 will receive a Polished Gold-Plated 1cm "Hupé" scale 
cube made of Tungsten Carbide, comes w/ velvet bag ($50.00 Value!)
see image here take with exterior surface of NWA 6704: 
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/HupeCubeGold.jpg

Please email me Off-List for pricing. I will give first choice in the order 
that I receive emails, so please indicate a First, Second and Third 
preferences to be sure you get one of the ones you are interested in. I have 
also listed several specimens under both of my eBay accounts; "NaturesVault" 
and "AncientDiscoveries" (sorry, no slices there yet). The eBay offerings 
have a somewhat higher price suggested.

Thank you for considering NWA 6704 for your scientific or collecting needs, 
I appreciate it!

Best Regards,
Greg

====================
Greg Hupé
The Hupé Collection
gmhupe at centurylink.net
www.LunarRock.com
NaturesVault (eBay)
AncientDiscoveries (eBay)(formerly 'NaturesVault')
IMCA 3163
====================
Click here for my current eBay auctions, I have two accounts now:
1) NaturesVault - http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZnaturesvault
2) AncientDiscoveries (formerly 'NaturesVault') - 
http://shop.ebay.com/ancientdiscoveries/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

Original Announcement>>
Dear List Members,

Over the last four months I have been reorganizing my company to make things 
easier for me in order to better serve the meteorite community. To start my 
official Grand Re-Opening, I have the honor and privilege to introduce to 
you...

Northwest Africa 6704...
...a 'most intriguing' New Ungrouped Achondrite.

NWA 6704 is a most intriguing meteorite unlike any others known to man! Not 
only does it have tremendous scientific value, it is one of the most 
visually appealing meteorites with its dazzling display of yellowish-green 
orthopyroxene crystals containing small grains of olivine and chromite 
surrounded by large intercumulus grains of albite enclosing small grains of 
awaruite (a rare very nickel-rich metal alloy). Oxygen isotope results plot 
this achondrite within the field for acapulcoites-lodranites, but that is 
where any comparison stops. NWA 6704 is unlike any other meteorite! If that 
isn’t enough, this incredible meteorite contains an abundance of ‘bubble 
trains’ within the orthopyroxene which appear to be devoid of fluid upon 
initial inspection. Ongoing analyses are currently being performed to 
measure the cosmogenic noble gases to determine its CRE age (time spent in 
space) and to possibly detect trapped gases or even atmosphere from the NWA 
6704 parent body!

Close-up image of the NWA 6704 matrix:
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704matrix.jpg

Bubble trains and cleavages in orthopyroxene (width of field 0.593 mm)
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704bubbleTrain1.jpg

Bubble trains and cleavages in orthopyroxene (width of field 0.237 mm)
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704bubbleTrain2.jpg

NWA 6704 has a Total Known Weight of 8387 grams in a single, naturally 
fractured stone that was discovered in Northwest Africa in 2010. In their 
eagerness to see what was ‘inside’ the stone, the Algerian finders 
unfortunately broke the largest pieces, as can be seen in the image of the 
reassembled stone below. Also visible are the natural breaks along extended 
segment boundaries which have been sandblasted over time in the Sahara, 
smoothing the edges on the largest pieces and a more ‘rounding’ of the 
smaller fragments. Oddly, NWA 6704 is almost entirely devoid of visible 
fusion crust; only a single 1.5cm x 2cm patch exists, raising questions as 
to how this can be. Through a determined effort over a four month period, 
the distributed parts were purchased by Greg Hupé and reassembled into a 
single stone resembling a ‘puzzle’. It is remarkable that the finders were 
able to collect even the smallest of fragments!

Reassembled mass of the NWA 6704 ‘puzzle’ meteorite (measures 27cm x 16cm x 
14cm):
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704complete1.jpg

Close-up image of only fusion crust ‘patch’ on NWA 6704 (measures 1.2cm x 
2cm):
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704crust1.jpg

Thin section image of NWA 6704 in cross-polarized light (width of field 5 
mm):
http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704ThinSection1.jpg

Officially accepted classification of NWA 6704 entered in the Meteoritical
Bulletin: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=53609
(Note: the TKW is 8387 grams with 42 pieces, entry errors should be
corrected soon).

Officially accepted classification of NWA 6704 entered in the Meteoritical 
Bulletin:
[TKW corrected here]
Northwest Africa 6704 (NWA 6704)
Algeria
Purchased: 2011 Feb-May
Classification: Ungrouped achondrite

History: A single, dense, yellowish-green stone was found in pieces in 
Algeria, and was purchased in February 2011 at the Tucson Gem and Mineral 
Show and over subsequent weeks from Moroccan dealers by Greg Hupé.
Physical characteristics: Forty two pieces fit together as a single ovoid 
mass (8387 g) with rounded, shiny exterior and small patches of remnant 
black fusion crust. The interior is mostly pale yellowish green with rare 
darker brownish grains and sparsely distributed small grains of opaque oxide 
and metal.
Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS): Overall medium grained with an 
igneous cumulate texture. Small grains of olivine (0.5-0.8 mm) and chromite 
(0.1-0.6 mm) enclosed within large (to 4 mm) orthopyroxene oikocrysts, which 
are in turn surrounded by large optically continuous, intercumulus grains of 
untwinned albite and <0.1 mm awaruite. The silicates contain curvilinear 
trains of tiny rounded inclusions (2-20 μm), which appear on polished 
surfaces to be empty bubbles with smooth rounded walls.
Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa51.6-53.2; FeO/MnO=120-140; NiO=0.9-1.0 wt.%), 
orthopyroxene (Fs41.6-42.4Wo2.8-3.6, FeO/MnO=81-82; Cr2O3=0.3 wt.%), 
plagioclase (Ab92-93An4-3Or4). Oxygen isotopes (R. Tanaka, OkaU): replicate 
analyses of acid-washed material by laser fluorination gave: δ17O 1.015, 
0.880; δ18O 3.922, 3.613; Δ17O -1.048, -1.020 per mil.
Classification: Achondrite (ungrouped). This specimen is unlike other 
achondrites in its combined features: relatively ferroan mafic silicate 
minerals with elevated FeO/MnO ratios and anomalous Ni contents, extremely 
sodic plagioclase, very Ni-rich metal, and oxygen isotopic composition that 
plots within the field for acapulcoites-lodranites. Weathering is low and 
limited to minor coatings of pale orange desert dust on broken surfaces. 
Unshocked.
Specimens: A total of 20.5 g of type material and two polished thin sections 
are on deposit at UWS. The remaining material is held by GHupé. 