Coaldale Crater Gemstones, Meteorite Impact Produces Rare Specimens Options

[ASTROBLEME]

Members and Guests of Colorado Prospector,

Many years ago I discovered a highly eroded, geologically complex and very ancient impact crater centered 3 ¼ miles northwest of Coaldale, Colorado (USA). I am announcing this discovery as a long-time contributor to this forum in an effort to assure that the public has access to this information. Dan (the owner and operator of Colorado Prospector) is preparing some of my "Coaldale Crater" specimens for jewelry settings. He has graciously agreed to document his work progress so that others can gain a better understanding of the effort it takes to transform these raw materials into valuable gemstones. Please take time to follow this project along the way. I hope you find the subject interesting.

I'll be sharing the science behind this amazing discovery as our work progresses. This research builds upon my work at Gunnison Crater, Westcliffe Crater, Silver Cliff Crater and Hillside Crater that proved an extension to the 38th Parallel Crater Chain dating to the Late Devonian Period. Although the Coaldale Crater is also along the 38th Parallel, it is not part of the well documented crater chain system. My efforts in the Coaldale Colorado region included collecting field survey data, acquiring and analyzing numerous geologic specimens followed by an extensive review of the relevant scientific literature. The results support an impact event that occurred during the Oligocene Epoch.

For now, I'm providing the attached map depicting the present peak ring exposure. It is fascinating that this impact crater has survived the deep erosion and strong fault deformation that Mother Nature has provided continually over the past 27+ million years.

Sincerely,

ASTROBLEME

[CP]

Here's what I've marked for cab cut blanks so far…..doing lapidary work with new materials such as this or anything else you've never cut before, one can't assume that all these pieces will finish out. I may lose several to fractures or further breaks as I continue the project through each step. Several of these blanks will get one more short trip back to the trim saw to take off excess material/pieces, but you all get the idea of shapes to come.

These are the meteorite cuts. They cut nicely on the saw so I've got high hopes that they all turn out well. The upper left one I didn't mark anything on as I'll try to finish off that just as a "stand alone sample", the opposite side still has a rough uncut surface to compare a polished with. Should be a cool shelf piece if it works out.



These are the tektite pieces and one of the pieces I called conglomerate ….. more accurately, breccia.
I'm unsure if all of these will make it to the end of all the cutting processes, we'll just have to see. Those that do though show some very interesting characteristics that will hopefully show well in the final polishes. Again, a few of these will take a short trip back to the trim saw then it's on to dop sticks for the whole bunch.





For further interest towards the study of these samples, here's an inclusion in one of the tektite pieces which I'll be trimming off and saving for Johnny's future study. Pictures are not great sorry but it's very glassy/gemmy and I thought would be of interests to study if it can be caught from the cuttings also. I'll be happy to include these cuttings with all the rest of the stones, I'd imagine as someone who cuts, it might be really hard to find a lapidary cutter who can or would be willing/able to reclaim cuttings out of saw period. Let alone be able to assure the cuttings are a 99% pure or higher sample of that stones cuttings only. I'd be very happy to hear that those cuttings samples did help for study and find/verify further information in lab or microscope examination.




More updates on this project to follow soon…..