It came from space

[silverthorn]

Hey Folks, I bought another meteorite today; found in North West Africa, 10.49 grams. I have to get into my safe this week and pull out some of my silver objects. I am addicted to silver! I buy, find and barter for silver, .999 pure or .925 sterling. I have some unknown grades too. Lots of coins. Look me up if you want to chat about silver fever !! See ya later, alligator !! ~Silverthorn

 

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[silverthorn]

Hi TreasureTales:

Well, other than the sellers reputation, unless I have the meteorite physically tested, I really can’t be sure I have a genuine meteorite. Testing costs $18+ and involved cutting a slab off the suspect meteorite and having it analyzed. If this is a fragment of a larger meteorite or one found at an impact site, it may have been tested. The seller makes his living selling meteorites and I have to trust him and based on his reputation it should be genuine.

I am not going to have it tested; I only paid a couple bucks for it. It is interesting to me because all my other meteorites are iron based, are attracted to a magnet, are rough and seem to have enough nickel in them to prevent too much rust. And they all are rough and have been cut off of a larger piece so they have saw marks. Some were etched with acid so you can see the grain, the alignment of the metal crystals.

This meteorite is from North West Africa. I like it because it is stone like instead of metal. It has some smooth surfaces. This may be from weathering (erosion) or from falling to earth in a molten state, or flying from the impact site hot and melted. The green material is sometimes melted silica, moldavite-like substance, otherwise known as real highfalutin’ glass!

I like meteorites because you don’t see them everyday. Or do you? Tons of space debris fall to earth daily. A lot of it is long weathered into stone and sand. Well, EVERYTHING originally came from space! I’m surprised more space debris doesn’t fall onto and kill people! Talk about a twist of fate! To date, I have found many rocks that could pass for meteorites. But I am no expert! It could be old lava, coal cinders, clinkers or iron slag, or something from the bottom of someone’s barbeque grill!

For all the information on shooting stars, check out this website and it’s links:
http://www.meteorite.com/Meteorite_Identification.htm

I really like the silver necklace you purchased recently! Nice find! As you noted the charm is marked as sterling. Can you see any markings on the clasp? Do you have a jeweler’s loupe (yet)? Use a powerful magnifying glass, look at the clasp for any identifying marks. Sterling silver (or silver) will be marked as such, or a symbol such as .925, ITALY, 830, TIFFANY, BALI and sometimes MEXICO. Other signs are stamped Maker’s Mark. Sometimes any grade of silver is unmarked, or is actually white gold, platinum, or silvery junk metal. While you’re squinting, check out the chain. On rare occasions I have found a link at the end with a mark on it.

Not all silver marked sterling is actually sterling. Sterling is an alloy of silver containing 92.5 % pure silver and 7.5 per cent other metals, usually copper. It all depends on the refiner, foundry, vendor and final seller. I myself own a .925 stamp for jewelry manufacturing. The best way to identify silver content is the Acid Test.

The acid test (the one you heard’tell about…) really is The Acid Test! It involves filing the surface of the silver, pouring acid on it and watching it bubble until it changes color, revealing the metal content. Usually. Sometimes. Better yet, you can get a gold and silver ID pen on Ebay for about $20+. The pen dispenses an acidic chemical. Some use electric probes. You watch the spot and compare the color it turns to the chart printed on the side of the pen. It is not always easy to tell real silver from other metal.

A good way is to look at the silver material characteristics. Real silver is a very bright metal. It looks very bright, white, and almost “powdery.” It’s hard to explain. It will tarnish, even sterling, starting with a hint of yellowing near the edges (oxygen), then slowly turning brownish and finally turning jet black. I have found old silver coins that were so old, so corroded; so black they looked like flat black stone.

Your find looks to me like a great deal. The charm seems genuine. The clasp, chain and even the jump ring have a nice patina on them. Looks like all silver to me! Nice find! I don’t know what you paid for it. I have purchased old silver at junk stores. Sometimes I get a deal; sometimes I have paid market value. Bottom line is whatever you paid for it last year; it has now doubled in value! I have paid $1.50 to about $15.00 for a necklace similar to yours. Your chain looks heavier than any I have found. They have increased in value since I purchased them so I am satisfied with my finds. Tell me what you paid for this necklace, okay?

If you want silver guaranteed to be top grade, you could invest in coins. The coinrollhunters on this website have found a great way to invest in real silver for pennies (and a lot of work) on the dollar. Thanks for replying to my post and putting up with my blabbering!! Send me a note and let me know how much you paid!

~Silverthorn

 

[silverthorn]

You got yourself a very good deal on the necklace. Good luck with your trade. Email me if you want to. I write about silver once in a while. ~ Silverthorn

 

[UncleVinnys]

Yeah, I like meteorites too.
You figure if you find a coin, and it's 1890 or something, then that's way old.
You find a fossil, and it might be 65 million years old.
You find some old rocks, and they might be 500 million years old.

But meteorite - formed at or before the birth of our solar system - is often
more than 4 billion years old. Something about having some of the
star-dust from which the Earth was created is a fascinating concept.

You can tell it's a true meteorite by the "fusion crust" on the outside,
and usually the very heavy weight.

Way to go!

 

[silverthorn]

Wow. 4 billion years old?

And I thought I was old !!

Yeah, it's heavy for it's size; surprisingly heavy for it's size!

~Silverthorn