top of page
Submit Samples
Learn how to submit your samples to ZirChron LLC.
3
Collect & Ship Minerals
Gather your samples and prepare to ship to ZirChron. For best results, follow our Collecting and Shipping samples guide (click on topic or scroll down).
How to Collect Samples
How to Prepare Shipment
About International Shipments
After we receive your minerals, you will receive an invoice and instructions for payment.
1
Determine Turn-around Time
Contact ZirChron for an estimated turn-around time for processing your samples. Please include the nature of the sample (rock type, expected age, etc) or any special requests in the way to process your sample.
Once you have been notified of the turn-around time, proceed to Step 2. Please note: Average turn-around time is 4-6 weeks.
2
Print Forms
Download, print & fill out ZirChron's order form to send along with your samples.
ZirChron Order Form
How to Collect Samples
About amount of sample: Igneous Zircon Sample: 1-2 kg (2-4 lbs) is good for most samples. In most cases zircon abundance tracks with quartz and biotite, so you will need to collect more of a mafic rock and less of a felsic rock. If a rock contains no quartz or biotite, chances are slim that you will recover sufficient zircon for an analysis.
Volcanic samples: Please include a little more material. Also coarse texture are better than fine.
Detrital Zircon Sample: 5 kg (10 lbs) is good for most samples.
Zircon goes with quartz abundance in sandstones, so you need less of a quartz arenite than a greywacke. Try to sample the coarsest available material, as analyses will be of better precision/accuracy if grains are large. You will get the best data from sandstones of medium to coarse grain size. If the rocks has silt-size grains, chances are that the zircons will be too small to analyze.
About collecting the sample: You will need to collect and package your sample in such a way that it will not be contaminated with other rock materials. Collect only chips/fragments that are broken off of a clean rock surface and make sure there is no soil on the chunks that go in the sample bag. Zircon is not disturbed by weathering. Make sure to avoid veins if they have lot of sulfides! Break up the rock on the outcrop, with all fragments smaller than your fist. Please do not send rocks larger than a fist-size! When breaking up large chunks, do not put them on asphalt, concrete, or other rocks, as all of these contain minerals that will contaminate your sample!
Put the collected fragments into well-labeled sample bags, and ship in well-taped boxes or, better yet, in plastic buckets with snap-on lids.
How to Prepare Shipment
You will need to collect and package your sample in such a way that it will not be contaminated with other rock materials. Collect only chips/fragments that are broken off of a clean rock surface and make sure there is no soil on the chunks that go in the sample bag. Zircon is not disturbed by weathering. Make sure to avoid veins if they have lot of sulfides! Break up the rock on the outcrop, with all fragments smaller than your fist. Please do not send rocks larger than a fist-size! When breaking up large chunks, do not put them on asphalt, concrete, or other rocks, as all of these contain minerals that will contaminate your sample!
If your shipping internationally to U.S., please include a letter to the U.S. Customs indicating that they are rocks and they are not toxic or dangerous materials. See 'About International Shipments' below for further instructions.
Ship samples to:
Victor A. Valencia PhD / ZirChron LLC
210 S. Plumer Ave. Suite 100
Tucson, AZ. 85719
Please be sure to include a copy
of your order form.
About International Shipments
If shipping international, please include a letter to US Customs indicating that the shipment contains rocks and they are not toxic or dangerous materials.
To help expedite your shipment, please never write the word 'soils' or 'tierra' or 'suelo' in the customs letter. Soil samples require a special permit from the USDA. For more information about importing soil, download PDF
Example of Letter to US Customs Authorities:
To Whom It May Concern,
The material that is being sent includes geological rock samples for geochronological and petrological analyses. The materials are free of contaminants or any substance and lacks commercial value. It is part of a research project between (insert name here) and Dr. Victor A. Valencia.
If any of the samples need to be inspected, please do it sample by sample. This will help protect the integrity of the samples which is necessary to obtain high quality results.
Sincerely,
Your name
Collect Samples
Prepare Shipment
International Shipments
bottom of page