Hi Folks and Thirsty-Turtle!
Sorry I'm late. As a rabid spacerock nut and soon-to-be resident of Florida (again), I have some intetrest in this one.
It does look like an iron meteorite actually, at least in the photo above. It looks like a Campo del Cielo iron - I have one in my display currently that looks very similar, I'll post a photo of it later.
But, Campos are found in Argentina, so it's not a Campo. (unless Thirsty-Turtle is testing us!)
If it leaves no streak, that's good.
A magnet leaps to it and sticks firmly, that's good.
According to the Met Soc Database of known "official" falls and finds, Florida has yielded 5 meteorites -
http://tinyurl.com/dhudqu
One of them was found buried in sand at a beach. So it's possible to find meteorites in Florida, it's just not common. Interestingly, an iron meteorite has never been found Florida.
If you did indeed find this, Thirsty-Turtle, then I suggest you take it to an authoritative lab and have it looked at. You could do this by mail also - I can recommend some reliable labs that will analyze it and the initial determination of yes/no won't cost a dime, beyond shipping expenses.
If it is an iron meteorite find in Florida, congratulations, it's a first and it's valuable. If it is a meteorite, have it classified and published in the Meteoritical Society Bulletin so it can be recognized by the scientific world (and collector's market). If there are no disputes to ownership rights of the specimen, then it's a win-win situatiuon for everyone involved, especially the finder. You can benefit science and put a little cash in your wallet by slicing off a few small pieces to sell.
Typically, with a suspected iron, the lab will do this :
1) a simple nickel test - a positive for nickel is a good sign, but not definitive.
2) file or cut a small window into the interior of the specimen, polish the window, and then apply an etching solution (typically nitric acid) to the window. If it is a meteorite, a characteristic "Widmanstatten pattern" will appear. If it's not a meteorite, the solution will turn black or the specimen will turn black, or nothing at all will happen. The appearance of the crystalline alloy structures of the Widmanstatten pattern is the definitive test in verifying a suspected iron meteorite.
If you need any help tracking down a good lab locally in Florida or a reputable through-the-mail lab, PM me or email me at
meteoritemike@gmail.com.
Best regards,
MikeG
PS - if I was a gambling man, I'd wager with past statistics and say it's not an iron meteorite. But I could be wrong - my wife will testify to my frequent wrongness.
LOL
