The British and Irish Meteorite Society

Hi, Thank you all for the warm welcome! I will try to upload some pics of the two rocks I have in my humble collection in this post and hopefully I'll do it correctly. I believe the Campo is a shrapnel fragment due to the sharp and irregular edges, whilst I think the Sikhote is a small individual due to the presence of some regmaglypts. Both are very small samples with the Campo having a mass of 24.7g and the Sikhote having a mass of 26.6g. I will certainly be adding more soon, the mind is willing but the wallet is weak!
I think i will go for a Canyon Diablo next.

Thanks for posting these, Bryan. A good start to your collection. You seem to be specializing in irons!


Regards, Kieron

Always good to see new folks starting out and their first pieces....I still have the first I bought. Thanks for sharing the pics Bryan. I had a photographer in all afternoon today taking photos of my collection...will share once I get some copies from the journalist who is doing the story.

Thanks for posting Bryan. Always good to see photos of specimens in other collections. You seem to be making a good start as that Sikhote is a very nice individual

If you need any advice in how to grow the collection then just shout out here, we are always willing to help and advise on any potential purchases and perhaps help to avoid some of the pitfalls that are out there!

Cheers

Martin

Thanks for the comments. I'm very happy with the start of my collection so far and I'm looking forward to watching it grow. I've started with irons as I've learnt the most about these type of meteorites the most thus far trough the differentiation process. I also try to learn as much as much as possible about the history of the particular meteorite before obtaining a sample so it's not just "another piece"!
I'm planning on getting a small display cabinet once I have a sizeable collection going. What's the best way to store/keep the samples I have now? At the moment I store them in small individual self-seal plastic bags.
I have bought the two samples I have now off the internet, namely eBay and have understandably been very cautious in doing so. As a result I have done some research before hand and have limited myself to sellers listed on the meteoritecollector.org website and only those registered with IMCA as a precaution for now.
Have you heard any more regarding your collection from the journalist Barwellian? Sounds like you have a very extensive collection and it would be great to see the pics.

Hi Bryan,

I wouldn't worry too much about storage/preservation of your small irons - they will be fairly stable. Having said that you should at least keep an eye out for rust as some Campo samples (especially slices) can be prone to rusting. If you are going to seal them in plastic bags it might be an idea to put some silica gel in there as well. This list of known 'rusters' might be of interest - it is in German but I am sure I have seen an English translation somewhere: http://www.aranemac.de/mets/rost.html

Also, I wouldn't limit myself to buying only from IMCA members. Membership really provides no guarantee of authenticity and the IMCA does not have a particularly good track record of policing its own members. Just my opinion, of course.

Regards, Kieron

Thanks Kieron, I'll have a look at the site and see what they say. Do you have a list of sellers which are trusted and from where I can buy with confidence from or a recommended website which lists the sellers?

Hi Bryan...your's will probably be ok in plastic bags...but sometimes that can increase risk of corrosion on some types that have a tendency for Lawrencite desease....better once displayed in a cabinet to use a rechargeable silica gel unit to keep the humidity down...I'm lucky now that my collection room stays around 20% nearly all year. I've just redisplayed stuff in my room...so will get some photos of it soon.

Graham

Hi Bryan,

As Kieron says, the two you have should be fine especially the Sikhote, just keep an eye on the Campo as time goes by. Regards sellers and ebay auctions etc, just send one of us a PM or email and we can guide you as to if it looks legit. Although i am a member of the IMCA myself and i do buy and sell specimens there are many top dealers who are not members so by limiting yourself to only buying from IMCA members you will limit your future collection. Best thing to do is ask here

Cheers

Martin

Thanks Martin, I'll be sure to ask here before any future purchases. Nice to know I have some expert opinion at hand to check with. Much appreciated.