But there is one problem. You and I both have this same sort of dilemma.

Since you're pretty connected in the industry, your biases might be called into question. Better to avoid this sort of thing. The best way to do something like this is with independent confirmation. An objective outside party is not going to be questioned like you might be.

Then again, sometimes it's not economically possible to send samples out to a lab. In that case, I'd say publish your findings but be careful about interpreting them. If you post an unfavorable interpretation in a public forum, you'll probably be attacked. Or if you post proudly about your own work, even in a private forum, sometimes people will react. Not that controversy is always avoidable or even bad, but if you publish interpretations of work like this, it is bound to bring some your way.