Dimensions: approx: 5 x 5.5 x 6.5 cm, polygonal outlines approximately in the shape of a quadrilateral prism with trapezoid basic surface Weight: 1231 g.
The present object displays a dark metallic grey colour, with rust brown traces in crevices, gussets and cavities. At five or six points, the surface is relatively smooth on five of the six surfaces and the edges are largely rounded off.
The remaining surface is relatively even although compared with the other surfaces, demarcated by rather sharp edges, and displays a much rougher structure. The shape can be interpreted thus: it has a natural rolling of an originally sharp-edged fragment of ore with a subsequent fracture. The fracture itself reveals signs of natural smoothing. In addi-tion, on one of the old rolled-off surfaces there is a very recent fractured surface measuring about 1×1.5 cm. Under the microscope, this surface reveals a fine-grained structure with a metallic gleaming appearance. This is to be attributed to the light reflections on the tiny smooth surfaces. The surfaces manifest in part triangular shapes whose three-dimensional formation displays octahedrons. This crystalline shape is also visible in cavities in other parts of the object.
The presence of a magnet indicated strong magnetism in the object. The object was acquired as a ‘meteorite’ supposedly but that had to be ruled out for several reasons. Because of its high weight and the surface structure of the two more recent fractured surfaces, a meteorite of the stone and stone-and-iron type had to be ruled out. Identification as an iron meteorite had to be ruled out for weight reasons: relative to its size, with a density of 7.87 g/ cubic centimetres for iron, the piece would have to be much heavier, and the possibility was also ruled out because of the fracture’s surface structure. A visible crystalline formation with octahed-ron outlines and the fact that the tiny loose fragments can be rubbed into a powder without effort (splinters of iron can be flattened only with great expenditure of force, which likewise rules out the presence of ele-mental iron).
It was finally conclusively identified by means of X-ray diffractometry on one tiny loose splinter as magnetite FEe304 with a small proportion of hematite Fe203, which acccords very well with its external appearance, magnetic behaviour and the weight of the object. Magnetite as a compo-nent of meteorites is only known in the form of tiny grains in stone–iron meteorites. Magnetite in massive formations and as virtually the sole component such as it features in the present object has to rule it out as meteorite material.