meteorite 5 pounder

milesofalaska · Mar 28, 2012

Meteorite 5 pounds. 5 inches x 5 inches x 2 inches high. This is a Nantan meteorite that fell in Nantan China recorded falling in 1506. This is from an asteroid outside our solar system. It cooled in space at the rate of 1 degree per million years. It was then reheated when entering the earths atmosphere and the impact on the earth compressed the iron structure of the steel so it is dense and very heavy for its size. Some meteorites have a special crystallization matrix highly sought after but this is not one of those (such are worth thousands of dollars for this size) It still has a unique pattern easy to identify as a meteorite -if I person wanted to cut this up. It might make a more interesting display as is or a paperweight etc. It is mostly iron and nickle. $700.

A Nickel-Iron Octahedrite was observed to fall in May of 1516 (During summertime in May of Jiajing 11th year, stars fell from the northwest direction, five to six fold long, waving like snakes and dragons. They were as bright as lightning and disappeared in seconds".) The fall was estimated at 9000 kg. It lay untouched until "the great leap forward" in 1958, when peasants were to boost steel production with neighborhood blast furnaces. There was a shortage of iron and so the meteorites were dug up. Fortunately their melting point was too high and the meteorites were spared. When cleaned from their heavy oxide coating they show three dimensional Widmanstaetten lines, i.e. octahedral crystals of kamacite to over an inch.

I confess I do not know a lot about meteorites. There is supposed to be a Kamasite crystal pattern. I could not bring it out. (humph!) But I had this other slice from some other meteorite and sliced it and the pattern that was on the piece before I cut it I could not bring out either. (Humph!) I tried the usual (for me) nitric acid and also ferric acid and neither worked. Nothing touches it. The Nantan wore out my cutting equipment that cuts even D-2. Whatever this is, it is heavy as heck and hard as any steel I have ever messed with. I heat it, and it never cools off I mean as in it stays hot forever. Weird stuff. Almost spooky. I heard a rumor someplace but forget now. with lots of nickel you need some other acid or method to get the pattern to show up. Anyone out there know what I did wrong and how to get a pattern to etch(?) Humh! And Next! I am too busy right now to mess with it. Moving on with other ideas. May or may not ever get back to how cool meteorites are. Apparently you have to know something. (DA!) Anyone with a smile and chuckle who knows what I do not know, feel free to clue me in. Meanwhile back at the ranch. I got other pieces, other slices, and can get more, I think next year, at the Tucson show, so for now just as soon part with a Nantan I have not touched, to get some of my investment back. Maybe this can be cut into blades. I made two blades that seem ok cut well shine up nice, look pretty outer spacy. But maybe someone knows more then I do about it, otherwise this is up for sale on my web site, not for knife makers but for a paperweight display - something cool from outer space.

above - this is what the inside will look like sliced. Slice from another Nantan meteorite I bought and cut for knife blades. Acquired at the Tucson fossil show from a nice Chinese family among vendors in a tent who could hardly speak English. Lots of nodding, bowing and offerings of tea. I could tell, not from the city, possibly from this village Nantan. If I understood, farmers in the field in the village find these, and sent this family to represent them at the biggest show in the world. I hope they went back home with many stories! They liked my mountain man hat from Alaska, and all had to try it on and have a picture taken. Alaska! They kept saying Alaska! More tea more bowing. Thats um, how I got my meteorites.

A good way ot buy is to go to my web site and use the shop cart this item is botom of the page
http://www.milesofalaska.net/gems/
Or email me - or help expand my knowledge if you understand meteorites.