Found in Oklahoma

[jewelerguy]

the reason I'm posting this is that most anyone on this section of the forum would most certainly know more about meteorites than me. So, I'm asking that after you read this story and look at the pictures, you can form an opinion and give me some advice.... sorry in advance for the quality of the pictures.

I found this in Marlow, Oklahoma. From some internet searches, I've found that some meteorites have been found in this area including a story of a 'fireball' being seen by Marlow residents back in 1920.

I found this 'rock' back about 1975. I was about 12 years old and was walking home from school. I've always been the type to keep my eyes to the ground looking for cool stuff. Passing an area where the ground had a steep slope and the soil was eroding, I noticed a silvery object sticking out of the ground. What I saw was a small portion of this rock and had to dig around it to get it out of the ground. I knew it was some kind of metal, but it was not rusted at all. I was also amazed at it's weight in my hand. I took it home and washed the dirt off of it and it was exactly as you see in the pictures posted.

I have always suspected it to be a meteorite, but I know nothing about them except some things I've seen on the web. It appears to made of solid nickel but then again I do not know. As I said before, it was not rusted at all. Most all of the surfaces appear to be melted as if from flight. The rough side shows patterns that lead me to believe that if it were sliced it would show the Widmanstatten pattern. It is extremely heavy for it's size... it shows to weigh over 13 lbs on common bathroom scales. It seems to be an extremely dense material. And yes, a magnet will stick to it.

One of the forum members here said in another post that some meteorites were worth around 10 grand per pound. That gets me excited. However, I found a web site about meteorites some time back that had some pictures of one that looked nearly identical in color and features. They were selling slices for 60 bucks per gram. With mine being somewhere in the 6000 gram range, that translates to around 350 grand and that gets me VERY excited.

So, what do you guys think? If it is a meteorite, where in Oklahoma can I take it to get it verified? This is one of the coolest things I've ever found and the thought that it is possible that it could put my daughter through college makes me want to get the ball rolling on it.

 

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[pronghorn]

Have you found out anything on this?
Try searching google for a place to have it
tested, research is quite easy on the net!
Hard to believe no one responded, have you done
any research into getting it tested? Looks like it
should be further researched, I would like to know
what it might be. Good Luck!

 

[jewelerguy]

thanks for your reply Pronghorn. When I posted this I was hoping for some opinions based on my pictures and also some advice as to where I could take it here in Oklahoma to get it looked at. Most everything I've researched on the net tells me it is a meteorite. I found it when I was 12 years old and I'm 48 now and have always believed it must be one.

 

[pronghorn]

thanks for your reply Pronghorn. When I posted this I was hoping for some opinions based on my pictures and also some advice as to where I could take it here in Oklahoma to get it looked at. Most everything I've researched on the net tells me it is a meteorite. I found it when I was 12 years old and I'm 48 now and have always believed it must be one.

Hello
My research comment was directed towards where you can get it
tested. Did a quick google search and found plenty of info.
But for some reason my computer or this site won't allow me to
post any links right now Sorry

Do a google search for Dr. David London at OU
Maybe you can find his email address and send him your
pictures.

Or just google "meteorite testing" or something similar.

Also try meteoritestudies.com

There's plenty out there if you just use google and a
little imagination, give it a shot. Sorry I can't post links?

There are also sites that tell you some tests you can do yourself
but some people recommend you don't do any testing
by yourself as you might devalue it if it is a meteorite.
Good Luck!

 

[TerryC]

I am also surprised only one reply. Looks like chromium slag to me. I had a rock just like yours. I took it to the "pros" at NASA, where I worked. They found it VERY difficult to cut (ruling out iron). They then put it into that machine that samples it on the molecular scale. Found it was chrome slag. (rats!) First check to see if it is magnetic. If it is, AND you do the very simple test for nickle and you get POSITIVE results, bet on meteorite. Otherwise, probably not. Others on this Tnet can help with other ways to test it. Good Luck! I hope it is. TTC

 

[Trooper733]

Jewlerguy,

Did you ever determine if this was in fact a meteorite for sure? I just joined treasurenet and was looking through the posts related to Oklahoma. Interesting find.

 

[hvacker]

It also resembles platinum ore. Associated with mining iron ore. Railroad beds were sometimes made with iron ore and sometimes platinum found in the mix. A friend found one as a kid on railroad tracks in Indiana. Took it home and didn't know for years what it was. About the size of a baseball.
Get a magnet!

 

[Rawhide]

Have you weighed it in water yet? It has holes also. There is a porcelain test also. Try not to cut it up as it will be worth more as a specimen than cut into pieces. It will set off a metal detector. A rare earth magnet will also stick to it. Its very clean, and little rust. Platinum is worth more than gold I believe, so its worth getting looked at. There was places that would check, but one university in Arizona is not accepting any more samples from the public. Also be careful who you send it tom with the antiquity laws, you may forfeit it. Good Luck. Keep us posted.

 

[jewelerguy]

Well, it's been 12 years since I originally posted this and I finally have an answer. The Oklahoma Geological Survey at the University of Oklahoma had an invitation for the public to bring in interesting rocks for them to identify. I took the opportunity to take it for them to look at.

They identified it as Magnetite, and thought it was a very impressive specimen. After speaking with them I did some research on Magnetite in Oklahoma and read where it can be found in the Wichita Mountain region of the state. I'm approximately 30 miles east of there, so that makes sense.