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Brenham Iron
The meteorite from which this specimen is made was found at the surface of the ground, slightly exposed, in a very shallow, dry ravine adjacent in Mr. Ross's wheat field. When found, it was quickly recognized as a Brenham iron - its external texture possesses great character, with regmaglypts or ablation pits on the stone's exterior and rich orange-umber patina. A single cut was made on this Brenham iron by an expert meteorite cutter and former meteorite hunter, who reported this meteorite was very difficult to cut because of its Schreibersite mineral content. Using his diamond-blade band saw, he cut the specimen at a difficult 45-degree angle, then polished its cut-face to a mirror finish. Thereafter, he etched the surface with nitric acid - a dangerous process - which etches the mostly-iron Kamacite bands, distinguishing them from the nickel-iron Taenite bands and revealing the awesome Widmanstatten pattern. Schreibersite in this specimen takes the form of long, irregular, silver to brassy-colored bands bisecting the woven-textured Kamacite and Taenite lattice. The arrangement and stand for this distinctive partial specimen with its unusual and difficult to create cut-face exemplifies the artistry of Jim Penix/Mineral Hunters and sculptor Larry Whiteley. 21.7 lbs (9.868 Kg) |
