[Rockhounds] Moon Rocks for Sale

[Doug Bank]

There used to be a fancy restaurant near my house that was oddly decorated with astronaut related materials. In the lower level of the restaurant, in a display case, there was a "moon rock" encased in acrylic. I have also heard that there are very very few legally privately owned moon rocks, but I supposed this might have been one of them…

The restaurant was owned by Jim Lovell’s son. Jim never made it to the moon, but I can certainly see them giving him a tiny piece of it. 

(I just searched the internet and found some info. Apparently it was just a replica bought by Lovell’s wife for him on their anniversary…)

> On Oct 31, 2018, at 9:29 AM, <larryrush at att.net> <larryrush at att.net> wrote:
> 
> With this interesting theme of Moon Rocks, I guess it's time I told my
> little story as well....
> 
> Some years ago, I was approached by an individual (let's call him Ed) who
> wanted me to verify that the rock in his possession was indeed a moon rock.
> Intrigued, I invited him to my house, with his prized possession. He
> explained that a close relative was employed by NASA and was an officially
> close and personal supporter for the astronauts.
> Indeed, he produced strong evidence to that effect. (I have to be a bit
> vague in this whole essay, since I am still leery of the liabilities for
> him, and me).
> 
> It seems the astronaut gave this rock to Ed's close relative as a gift
> before leaving NASA. The relative bequeathed it to Ed., telling him it was a
> moon rock. 
> I certainly was not any kind of expert on lunar rocks, and after looking the
> piece over for quite a while, and doing what basic tests I could , proved
> that point to him and myself!
> But, my background in Petrology was enough to make me curious, as this rock,
> like many terrestrial ones, had features that could have been lunar in
> nature. 
> I tried to do some research on that flight, where it landed, and the rocks
> there, but that was not very helpful. 
> 
> I took some photos, and after more conversation, I told him that I didn't
> know where it came from, but it  possibly came from an area in the US where
> the astronauts had been training.
> Mostly, I tried to convince Ed that the security surrounding lunar material
> would certainly make it very difficult for anyone to steal a good-sized
> chunk of it. Also, it was a crime for him to have it, if it was real.
> At about that time, I got a bit nervous myself, even to be a witness  or to
> be involved in a possible federal crime. I could have referred him to a
> Yale University prof. nearby, but didn't want to get in any deeper than I
> already was. 
> 
> I didn't want to incriminate him (or me!), so he left with not much help
> from me. I resolved to forget the whole episode, and not to repeat it to
> anyone, until now. 
> I have never heard from him again, and haven't heard of any new stealing
> news, and the astronaut is dead, so I think it's safe to assume that Ed got
> the message, and stored his "Moon Rock" away, along with his interesting
> story!
> It might make a good story for his grand-children, but I'm sure it would be
> fiction!
> 
> 
> Larry Rush
> BS Geology
> ConnRox Minerals
> Guilford, CT
> 
> 
> 
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