NOTE: By purchasing this item you agree that you are 18 years or older and have read our
WARNINGS and NOTICES ! (also serves as FAQ’s)
10 GRAMS Autunite in (now inside an additional, padded “altoids” tin, not pictured) in a plastic stackable box. No special display, labels, or permanent seals seals; the focus here is raw specimens bulk.
This is an example of a typical lot, not the exact one.
For any half gram of matrix rock “contamination” included, I’ll add a whole extra gram of pure lamellar autunite to offset it and guarantee 10 grams+ pure stuff..
These are not special display formations. They are just pieces surviving being bundled. They can be chipped or fractured but I try to include a variety.
Mineral: calcium uranyl phosphate — beautifully fluorescent under UV, even regular black light (long UV-A)! Does not glow without blacklight (though it will scintillate under magnification if dusted with Zinc Sulfide doped with copper and silver, revealing radioluminescent sparkles as alpha radiation excites said phosphor, with adequately dilated pupils in darkness).
Common Name: autunite (100% natural form, unprocessed)
Activity Level: very high (in terms of natural specimens)
Autunite is upwards of half elemental uranium and is particularly active because, in addition to plentiful 238U, it still contains small amounts of hotter matter such as 235U and radium.
Crystalline uranium mica, bare and exposed, is great for taking alpha readings, experimenting with radioluminescence with phosphors, or for using inside a cloud chamber.
Note: Large, Perfectly Formed specimens can be very expensive. Thus these pieces, while almost entirely pure crystalline lamellar autunite (Ur mica) are display seconds that have been rolled around a bit, chipped, or attached to a very small amount of matrix rock. It is an affordable nuclear geology display bargain to finish making, yourself, with your own shielding, protection, etc.
Be safe with lab specimens. Learn safety around uranium ore and autunite before purchase.
As you can see in the UV pic, it can flake. Use sticky tape & black light for cleanup and do not purchase without reading our FAQ/Warnings and learning about keeping ore like autunite.
