Found while testing my new GB2

[Rick K.]

Funny lump of iron.

Seems to be completely comprise of iron, strongly attracted to magnet. Notched with file, shows only iron.

I took some pix under 10x magnification using my phone and a stereo microscope.

Any chance it's a small iron meteorite? Weighs just under 3 grams. Scale in pix is mm.

[adam]

Its iron junk man........And you are not "testing" the gold bug II ...It is already a proven gold finding leader, so no "testing" is needed........

[Rick K.]

Thanks for the quick response.

As far as "testing" the GB2, I should have written "getting to know". I am well aware of the detector' status as a premier VLF gold detector - that's why I bought it even though I already have a Goldmaster4b and a Whites TDI. I was using the GB2’s iron reject function in order to get a feel for how it works and what it can tell me when used to cross check signals when searching in the normal all metal mode.

As far as the target goes, It is not surprising that it turns out to be junk, but thought someone on the forum might educate me as to what features make it identifiable as such.

[adam]

It is good to get used to using the iron disc, but don't put to much faith in it. It will not always tell the truth... As a lot of people say, dig everything.....

Yea, I have an issue with people "testing" stuff that is already in full production, and on the market Just a personal observation, and it cracks me up ! ....."Getting to know" is much better

[fredmason]

Adam...just because someone else has tested something does not exclude doing one's own tests...even on well established machines there can be things learned for the self or the detecting population...Question Everything-especially Authorities!

Rick, iron meteorites can be difficult to identify because there are many pieces of manmade iron junk scattered all about...

one definitive test would be a nickel test showing the percent of nickel...common nickel tests for allergies are not good enough...

Another option is to send it to a lab for testing...meteorlab.com had that service...maybe still does.

good luck

fred

Edited December 23, 2013 by fredmason

[Mikestang]

As Fred stated, a lab analysis looking for nickel would tell you for sure, but I do not see anything about your find that specifically says "meteorite" to me. It's probably man-made scrap, but you never know, its shape is not definitive.

[Regmaglitch]

Hi Rick,

It doesn't look like an iron meteorite to me, but like Fred and Mike say, you should have the nickel content tested. About 16 years ago, I thought I had found a patch of iron meteorites (more than 100) while hunting gold in an area. Not a one of them had a man-made surface on it. Took 3 of them to a local meteorite expert at an annual rock show. The guy was very excited, and thought they had a good chance, took them home, and did a nickel test to which they were very positive. We were both sure they were meteorites, and he encouraged me to take them to a State university. The school eventually analyzed them, and declared them to be shrapnel (man-made). Lesson to me: A very small percentage of meteorites are irons, so the odds are against you. If there is a possibility , have it tested but, don't get your hopes up. Good Luck, Ben