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Dropped $60 on a "guaranteed meteorite fragment" at a gem show in Reno and it is just slag
I got talked into buying a little nickel-iron chunk at a rock and gem show in Reno last April because the seller swore up and down it came from a fall in Argentina, and I did not ask for any papers. Took it to a real meteorite guy at a club meetup and he said it was industrial slag from a smelter and I am out $60. Lesson learned is that anything sold as a meteorite without a name and a find location is a paperweight, your mileage may vary on the sellers who are legit. Has anyone here actually bought a verified piece, and what paperwork did you get with it?
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ben2671d ago
What did the seller actually hand you besides the rock? I ask because paperwork is the whole ballgame with meteorites. A real piece should come with a signed label from a known dealer or a copy of a classification write up, and it needs a proper name like NWA 869 plus the find or fall location. Without that, it is just a rock with a story and you have no way to check it. I have bought two verified irons and both came with a dealer card and a photo of the specimen before it was cut. The lesson here is the $60 hurt less than the trust, so next time demand the name first.
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