This Uranium ore was found at an abandoned mining site in Western New Mexico in the Poison Canyon area. Miners in this area usually mined for uranium in the form of carnotite, which is an ore with a slight yellow or greenish tint to it. The ore also contains other radioactive isotopes that come from the decay of uranium. Most of the gamma radiation will be coming from the tiny bit of radium in the ore. The uranium ore has a bit of petrified wood mixed in. Fossiles are somewhat common in uranium deposites as they can be formed in ancient riverbeds.

Most of the radiation can be blocked with either glass or plastic. The radiation is the most intense right at the surface of the ore sample. Care should be taken while handling the ore sample. Gloves are recommended for handling the ore sample and having some kind of Geiger counter on hand is highly recommended as well. Handling of the ore sample should be done in an area that can be cleaned easily or outside.

Uranium ore is really only a hazard if its ingested or inhaled. Keeping it in a display case should pose no problems. The ore will produce a small amount of radon gas over time from natural radioactive decay.
 
The activity of the sample was measured at 83,000 CPM (counts per minute) using a Radeye B20 meter. This reading is a combination of alpha, beta and gamma radiation coming from the sample at the surface. This reading can only be recreated using a meter that has a pancake probe and can detect alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

Data from mining report of area where sample was found.

Commodities
Commodity
Importance
Uranium
Primary
Vanadium
Primary
Molybdenum
Tertiary
Materials information
Materials
Type of material
Carnotite
Ore
Coffinite
Ore
Ilsemannite
Ore
Host and associated rocks
Host or associated
Host
Rock type
Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
Rock unit name
Morrison
Rock description
Morrison
Stratigraphic age (youngest)
Late Jurassic
Stratigraphic age (youngest)
Late Jurassic
 
 
 

 
The sample will be properly labeled
and will be wrapped to comply fully
with USPS post office regulations. The
rocks can be shipped only within the
USA: foreign shipments are NOT
allowed, due to regulations of the
USPS and the federal Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.

 
NATURAL UNPROCESSED ORE
This package is wrapped to conform to the
requirements of USPS Packaging Instruction 7A
and USPS Publication 52, Section 347.22