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]

Thank you Johnny for the fine compliments! I'm very excited to be working these materials and I'm hopeful they will turn out well too without losing too many more from this point to finishing.

After a final trimming on the saw I was able to recover the inclusion pictured above as well as a few more meteorite pieces and thin slices trimmed off from the saws table. Only 1 of the stones trimmed today ended up culled out ....lost a piece of it's shape/mark where it came apart. Better now than later though, and could probably be remarked/cut for a slightly smaller stone still.

The rest are all looking good so far.....now it's off to the dop stick stage for cabochon shaping and polishing.

Thanks for the link too, very interesting read and does help understand that formation process. There is just so much we are still learning from or about space, and about our galaxies evolution and influences on earth, which many times when something new is learned/proven now forces us to rethink some previously believed theories.

Same thing with the extinct meteorite article you shared with me, very interesting indeed and just so recently released news too. Very cool stuff!