[meteorite-list] Re: "Bessey Specks"

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi Doug - 

You left out childrens gift from among the uses of
Bessey Specks - the "wow" effect of specks of Mars and
the Moon on them is pretty good - 

good hunting -
Ed 


--- MexicoDoug <MexicoDoug at aim.com> wrote:


> Hello Adam, Listees,

> 

> Bessey Speck

> (1) A commercially marketed, submillimeter-sized, 

> granular or irregular,

> intentionally broken petreus meteoritical fragment

> which collectors prize as

> a token possession of an expensive meteorite or of

> one with limited

> distribution, typically used more as a

> conversational piece or to

> satisfactorily fill a primal participatatory

> instinct for collection and

> coat-tailing on the "wow-effect" of possession of

> the parent specimen.

> Compare to "Particle", "Stardust", "Crumb", "Micro"

> and "Micromount".

> (2) Any, almost microscopic-sized particle

> originating from a larger (macro)

> meteorite specimen.

> 

> Note, I'm not disagreeing with Adam' response to Ed

> in the sense that the

> term micromount is a term in the toolbox, although I

> think the word particle

> is more descriptive for most of our uses.  I am

> agreeing with Michael Blood

> that the term Bessey Speck has a place.

> 

> The questionably honorific term "Bessey Speck" seems

> like a much more

> descriptive term to me than micromount for many

> collectors.  To me a

> "micromount" implies some sort of serious grand plan

> of scientific

> investigation or illustration of specific

> attributes.  Size alone doesn't

> count, as much as purpose.  For example, Stardust

> particles are not

> micromounts unless prepared that way despite Adam's

> definition, and they are

> not Bessey Specks, though micro-Besseyspeckies are

> certainly hypothetically

> possible.

> 

> "Bessey Speck" consideres that not all particles

> commercially sold in venues

> like eBay find scientific use regardless of who is

> doing the selling. That's

> where Bessey Speck is a unique and interesting term.

>  Adam's definition

> clearly has the weighted meaning toward a usually

> higher "scientific" use in

> observing material properties: appreciation with

> binocular microscope,

> better developed crystals, etc... The short comment

> in that definition

> "obtaining for less," especially given the profit

> and pleasure motives

> between buyers and sellers, really seems quite out

> of place to me.  Adam's

> post wasn't clear, at least for me, if he disagreed

> with the use of the term

> Bessey Speck or just was offering Ed an alternate

> (which I definitely agree

> with Adam in doing).

> 

> I am not comfortable with the term micromount being

> more properly used for

> specimens purposefully shattered into small bits

> with a sledge for the

> unadulterated and pure pleasure of collectors

> filling holes in their

> collections, a majority of which are not "better

> appreciating" their samples

> in a binocular microscope which many don't have nor

> have too much motivation

> to get.

> 

> Didn't "Bessey Speck" usage start with Dean's Mars

> rock sales many years

> before most of our times?  I am trying to remember

> Kevin Kitchinka's

> comments in "The Art of Meteorite Collecting" (don't

> have handy here) where

> an explanation of the etymology of this colorful

> term was published and my

> Mars' comment references.  Bessey Specks, though,

> gets the point across much

> better for me!  It's ll in the intended use and

> market.  While I don' think

> a "Micromount" is an appropiate common sense

> description for something not

> carefully prepared and mounted to exhibit some

> characteristic, heck - if

> their not even carefully mounted...

> 

> So, unless Dean objects to being immortalized in

> this fashion, that is my 2

> centavos.

> Doug

> 

> 

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: "Adam Hupe" <raremeteorites at comcast.net>

> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:53 PM

> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Re: "Bessey Specks"

> 

> 

> The term micromount has been used for decades to

> describe this type of

> specimen.

> 

> Micromount:

> 

> Micromount is term used by mineral collectors and

> rockhounds to describe

> mineral specimens that are best appreciated using a

> binocular microscope.

> Micromount specimen collecting has a number of

> advantages, specimens take up

> less space, rare minerals can be obtained for less

> and smaller crystals are

> more perfectly developed.

> 

> 

> All the best,

> 

> Adam

> 

> 

> 

> 

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: "E.P. Grondine" <epgrondine at yahoo.com>

> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:07 AM

> Subject: [meteorite-list] Re: "Bessey Specks"

> 

> 

> > Hi Michael, list -

> >

> > I see you list your Bessey Specks as "frags".

> >

> > (Your price of $25 seems very fair for Nakla

> specks,

> > but I already picked up Mars Bessey Specks for

> > childrens' gifts at Christmas from Hupe.)

> >

> > Clearly, there is a need for a more elegant term

> than

> > "Bessey Specks" for these. Does anybody have any

> > proposals? If not, is Dean(?-stroke damage) Bessey

> > going to be immortalized by having these formally

> > named after him?

> >

> > Hupe also sent the Bessey specks in small tubes

> > suitable for young hands, along with 1 nice pair

> of

> > cards (BTW I need a second pair of cards for the

> > second set of tubes, Greg), instead of gelatin

> > capsules.

> >

> > Perhaps microscope slides would be more suitable

> for

> > adult use, but as I don't remember any discussion

> of

> > these on the list, I'm bringing it up now.

> >

> > good hunting -

> > Ed

> >

> > --- Michael L Blood <mlblood at cox.net> wrote:

> >

> >> Greetings fellow space treasure lovers,

> >>          This post includes a fabulous, large

> iron

> >> and an entire new

> >> page of historic calls.

> >>

> >> FIRST:

> >> A beautiful 6.5 Kg / 14.3 Lb S-A Shrapnel piece

> that

> >> appears for all

> >> the world to be an oriented shield on one side

> and a

> >> flat, oriented

> >> specimen heading to the left in a downward angle

> on

> >> the other side.

> >>          This piece includes an custom build

> display

> >> stand to facilitate

> >> a very impressive display of its virtues.

> >>          If no one snaps this up on sale it will

> go

> >> into my catalog

> >> at $3,250-  but the first to contact me will take

> it

> >> in this sale for 2,750-

> >> (price includes shipping and insurance inside the

> >> US)

> >>          This spectacular piece can be seen at:

> >>

> >>

> http://community.webshots.com/album/554884324rEfSPa

> >>

> >> SECOND:

> >> I have set up an entire page dedicated to hammers

> ­

> >> meteorites that have

> >> struck man made objects, animals or humans. This

> is

> >> a collection of the

> >> most impressive of all the recorded meteorite

> falls

> >> in history. I have 35

> >> different recorded falls (including Bessey Specks

> of

> >> Sylacauga, Yurtuk and

> >> Burnwell). About half of the falls can also be

> found

> >> elsewhere with diligent

> >> searching ­ and you will find my prices are as

> low

> >> as anyone's. The others

> >> cannot be had anywhere else. They are priced

> >> according to cost.  This page

> >> is

> >> worth checking out even if you don't want to buy

> >> anything ­ it was 5 years

> >> in the making and includes historical photos,

> links,

> >> etc. See at the URL

> >> below:

> >>

> >>

> http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/Hammers.html

> >>

> >> Pieces on the Hammer page will be marked "SOLD"

> as

> >> orders come in ­

> >> so, if it is still listed when you email me, it

> is

> >> available.

> >>

> >>          PayPal preferred (sent to this email

> >> address) Visa/Mastercard

> >> and personal checks gladly accepted.

> >>          Happy Hunting! Michael

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >

> >

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> 

> 

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