Nukestuff.co.uk
Collection of Ionizing Materials
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All my ore pieces are stored safely in a thick-walled aluminium metal box. To read more about how to safely store ionizing materials, see below my collection showcase.
I'm awaiting on delivery of a radon monitor before I can get photos of my most active pieces;
Safety is important and it's handy to know the base level of radon in the room I'm keeping
source materials in, before they're exposed to open air!
Kasolite #1
Kasolite
Colour: Green, light green, grey, yellow, yellow-brown
Size: About 4cm
CPM: ???
Uraninite #1
Uraninite
Colour: Dark grey, silvery-white, quartz tan
Size: About 5.5cm
CPM: 76,000
Notes: This is by far my hottest piece of mineral. It is true "pitchblende" with characteristic botryoidal orbs of uranium deposit on a silicate composite material. The high radon risk means this piece has to stay sealed in an airtight container. It's so active that my geiger counter suffers "dead silence" from the sheer number of counts
Uraninite #2
Uraninite
Torbernite #1
Torbernite
Colour: Mint green, emerald green, orange brown, dark brown
Size: 5.5cm
CPM: 3000
Notes: I have two pieces of Torbernite. This is my biggest and heaviest one. The green area is incredibly flaky and I have to be careful not to brush over it. The green flakes sparkle in the light and the brown section looks burnt.
Torbernite #2
Torbernite
Colour: Dark orange, brown, yellow, lime green, slate grey, mint green, pale brown
Size: 4.2cm
CPM: 13,050
Notes: My second Torbernite purchase from March 2024. This piece is covered in a vast array of autumn-y colours with some unusual shades of green scattered amongst burnt browns and extremely dark black. I have no means to check, but the black section could be some kind of oxide element, either iron oxide or manganese oxide. It would also explain the orange, which is indicative of alterated iron mineral.
Uranocircite #1
Uranocircite
Colour: Silvery grey, bright yellow, translucent orange-brown, rusty orange, smokey white, brick red
Size: 5cm
CPM: 300
Notes: The low activity on this sample suggests that it's supporting uranium as a secondary mineral (yellow crystals growing between the large black faceted crystals). It never made it past 310cpm. I have guessed that it's composed majoritively of iron oxide mineral plus barium and manganese oxide (the crystals).
Boltwoodite #1
Boltwoodite
Colour: Pale white, grey, quartz white, pale pink
Size: 3cm
CPM: 300
Notes: The first piece of ore I have ever purchased. I bought this in 2016, but did not get a geiger counter until 2021.
Autunite #1
Autunite
Colour: Bright yellow, green, lime green
Size: (particulate) >5mm
CPM: 4000
Notes: My second ever purchase of ore. This started out as a vibrant green but dry heat has caused it to turn yellow over time.
Uranium Glass #1
Uranium Glass
Colour: Neon green, transparent glass green
Size: 7cm x 4.5cm x 1cm
CPM: 250
A novelty item crafted with reheated and reshaped antique Czech uranium glass from 1950.
Curite #1
Curite
Colour: Caramel yellow, orange, red brown
Size: (particulate) >9mm
CPM: 400
Notes: A vibrant ore with fairly low activity but quite a rarity. It's absolutely tiny and has fragments already broken off, parts of this mineral glisten underneath my LED light.
Uranophane #1
Uranophane
Colour: Slate grey, sulfur yellow, yellow-green, pearly white, translucent gold
Size: (particulate) >2cm
CPM: 400
Notes: Actively breaking apart, this piece of uranium mineral is very fragile.
Euxenite #1
Euxenite
Colour: Grey
Size: (particulate) >5mm
CPM: ???
Notes: Not purchased yet
Miscellaneous Items
Note: CPM stands for Counts per Minute
Aliexpress Anti-static Negative Ion Waterproof Bracelet
A green rubberized wrist strap with an interlocking hexagonal skin mounted on a thicker, denser black silicon material which connects together with two nut-shaped pins. The size can be altered. There is a central decorative bezel featuring a lightning bolt motif.
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 150
The back section of this wristband is not all rubber- there are two inlays of a different coloured material that have the appearance of "glitter". Due to this part of the wristband activating a high count on my geiger counter, this material is assumed to be thorium, or a thorium-laced sillicon blend.
There is it
Energy Armour
Rubber
Wristband
Featuring two identical logos on opposite sides in a shield-shaped inlay, the text around the sides of the band is silvery and dusty, but this does not react much at all so appears to just be silver paint and not thorium dust. "Energy Armor" is infamous for bringing international attention to these pseudoscience products containing radioactive substances, and was subsequently dissolved as a company when their products were removed from sale.
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 200
The cylindrical packaging of this wristband measures weakly for radioactive materials, suggesting particle contaminants. Both shield-shaped logos detect high counts, but the silver text portions are substantially lower or even dead silent.
Quantum Pendant with
Energy Card
This is a tidy bundle of grossly radioactive materials; the chalky grey medallion has a speckled appearance that glistens under a microscope, revealling crystalline white flecks included in its plastic material. Packaged within the "gift box" is a warranty card that looks like a regular credit card but without the chip. Considering its glossy surface and mundane solid-plastic bank card appearance, it's difficult to understand exactly why this card is hitting such high counts per minute. Fortunately, the box doesn't seem to be very radioactive at all, likely just carrying micro particles that have dusted off the other two items. The packaging is mostly cardboard with a small square plastic viewing window (you can see the card logo!) with a rough "leather" finish and sparkly, glittery text.
See MICROSCOPE imaging and further high-res images of this item here!
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 1100
This is the most radioactive non-mineral item I own. I will assume that this product has thorium baked into the plastic with very little consideration to contamination of the packaging, as with no pendant or card inside the slide-out tray, it still registers a high reading for radioactivity. It's possible that even the box has thorium dust caked into it. Note; my Geiger counter was still picking up medium levels of radiation (99CPM) while 20cm away from the boxed pendant. Even the warranty card appears to dramatically spike radiation levels when placed under the counter, the box however does not appear to be ionizing.
Pro Balance Energy (Pro Ion 5000) Bracelet
Less of a rubber strap and more like an actual bracelet, fitted with a sizeable buckle just like a watch strap, this wristband seems more refined than all the others and exudes quality. It's striking in green and black but the holographic biohazard warning symbol on the central decorative disc is a little bit sinister. The only downside to the product as a whole is the packaging; it's stuffed into a pouch with a zipper and it looks a bit like a freezer bag. Despite not being opened much at all (maybe once) it appears to have gotten damp at some point and the plastic is sticking to the cardboard insert.
See more high-resolution images of this item here!
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 330
Comparitively more radioactive than some of my mineral samples! There are some incredible readings coming from the centre disc. By isolating the holofoil disc under a piece of plastic (its own ziplock bag) I was still getting alarmingly high readings with just a tip of the rubber wristband directly underneath the counter. The rubber strap was measuring around 160cpm. Potentially dust contaminated, or baked in to the material. This is the only rubber wristband whose packaging had detectible radiation readings when underneath my geiger counter! (70cpm average)
Radium Watch Hands (approx early 1960)
Genuine 1960's watch hands enamelled with radium phosphoric paint. It gives off an impressive green glow when briefly touched by light. Under microscope the flakes of radium can be seen. Look at the cool GIF below!!
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 618
As expected, this radium produces high counts on my alpha counter. The watch hands are only tiny but the high purity of radium makes it potent.
Amazon 7 in 1 Negative Ion Germanium Band
The middle feature of this wristband is entirely metal but connected by two dense rubber straps. This is a different material to the Aliexpress green band, it's slightly more brittle. The reverse of the metal feature has a set of inlayed coloured orbs which are not likely to be gemstones but just painted plastic or synthetic mineral.
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 135
It's unclear exactly what part of this wristband is causing counts on the geiger counter, but it's presumed to be either the coloured orbs on the back, the blue bezel on the front, or even the strapping itself. A small piece of the strap fell off (a buckle) and was tested separately, which did elevate readings on my GMC 600+. The packaging was tested but did not cause any counts on my geiger counter to increase.
Power Balance Rubber
Wristband (PB)
A pleasant lemon-yellow strap with a holofoil disc featuring a patternated PB logo and watermark behind the text. It came in some extremely elaborate packaging with a uniquely identifiable serial number and mark of autheticity, showcasing the lengths that these companies will go to prove their confidence in a revolutionary product. It's important to remember that some companies excel more in their marketing and packaging design rather than the genuine functionality of their products.
Is this radioactive?
Not Tested
CPM: ???
To be completed when photographed
PBE Rubber
Wristband
To be completed when photographed
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 115
Just barely detectable levels of radiation coming from the cylindrical feature of this wristband. I did not know it's also magnetic!
PBE ION (Pure Strength Extra)
Wristband
An extremely small (they only had this size) super flexible, super stretchy red and white two-tone band with a holographic mirror-foil logo that is extremely difficult to photograph. The writing on the inside says "Pure Strength Extra" and "Power Balance Energy", perhaps it's marketed as both names on some storefronts in case a similar product already exists. I'm not sure of the purpose of the square shaped raised bezel that is only on one side of the band, but it might be there to strengthen a weak point as the band narrows in that section.
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 148
For such a small wristband, this PBE ION has a lot of activity. It's not clear what part of the band might contain hot material, but it's likely just baked into the material or inside the decorative bezel.
Negative Ion (anti-5G) Power Saver Phone Sticker
What appears to be a harmless, flat piece of cardboard. It has a super waxy smooth texture, and the text is completely flat printed. The photo above makes the print colour a lot more yellow when it's actually closer to a sulfur-green. Under microscope there is a tarmac-like structure to the black material, and the hard edge of the sticker clearly shows some particulate sticking to the glue underneath the sticker backing.
Is this radioactive?
Yes
CPM: 450
This item defies all belief in what can and can't be radioactive. Just a simple sticker is counting high amounts of radiation on my alpha detector. It was purchased from Amazon but they have since been removed from sale. You can still buy similar stickers on Aliexpress.
How to store radioactive items
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My wristbands are kept in their original packaging and stored in the same aluminium lock-box as my ore samples; there's no issue of a runaway reaction happening or another phenomenon called "Bremsstrahlung" which is essentially very fast charged particles colliding with other charged particles, and creating X-Ray radiation as a result of the collision. There are reasons why using a regular consumer-grade metal container is perfectly fine for storing radioactive materials;
- Uranium ore mineral is low grade and predominantly releases alpha radiation.
- Alpha particles cannot pass through surface skin barrier, and can't travel very far through air.
- Even a plastic bag can prevent alpha particles from passing through.
- If being stored loose in the container, fine particles of mineral are unlikely to contaminate the surrounding environment if handled carefully.
- Radon emission can be controlled by keeping samples inside an airtight container, also stored inside a metal box.
It's always best to minimize touching the surface of your mineral samples to prevent particle falling and skin contamination. Alpha particles can't pass skin but accidentally ingesting heavy metal will make you very sick. Some uranium ores produce more Radon gas than others depending on their concentrations of Radium-226, a precursor of Radon; minerals such as Uraninite and Carnotite produce more radon because they contain more concentrated amounts of Uranium which decays into Radium-226, as such these should be kept inside a secondary container that is airtight.
Nukestuff Visitors
I'd like to see where all my visitors come from. This map uses outwards-facing information that is stored by the internet browser you're using, which is also visible by every other website on the internet. If you're worried about this, just know that it's a lot like setting your Twitter or Facebook profile to public- you have to take active measures to define what privacy you'd like on your social accounts. For something as basic as a HTML guest map, you can simply use a VPN or a browser that has features that mask your outwards-facing information (that's your public IP, operating system and browser of choice, nothing like names or addresses or credit card information is stored there!) or a combination of both. I use Brave (a Chromium-based browser) and Private Internet Access, also known as PIA.
Safety Notice
Please practice safe storage of any kind of harmful material. Sale or disposal of ionizing materials is strictly controlled and even illegal in some countries; check your national policies and stay informed so you can keep yourself and others safe from ionizing radiation.
Nuclear Energy Regulatory Bodies for your country:
Australia: Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)
Canada: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)
Europe: (Multiple) Euratom Treaty, also covered by the Basic Safety Standards Directive (BSSD) but different bodies for each member state, for example The Netherlands is governed by The Dutch Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS).
Japan: Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA)
Russia: Rosatom
USA: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
UK: ONR (Office for Nuclear Radiation)
Measuring Radiation: A How-To
If you're looking to get into collecting and hunting for radioactive things, you'll need to get yourself a geiger counter. There's loads of different types available, but you're probably looking for a geiger counter that can detect alpha particles (since all natural isotopes emit this type of radiation as a primary source!). Alpha-capable GMCs are quite expensive, so if you're not willing to spend upwards of £250 on one of these models, you could always stick with one of the entry-tier counters such as the GQ GMC 500 plus, which runs about £120.
My two counters are both the GQ GMC machines; a GMC 500+ and a 600+. The 600+ cost me £250 not including shipping from where they are made in Washington, USA.
Free Mobile Apps? Those are fake!
Not everyone is going to be wise to the fact that every single app for detecting ionizing radiation is completely fake and is randomly pulling data from nowhere. Apps that appear to be counting something genuine are likely to be falsely advertised or misinterpreted; those are Electrical Magnetic detectors and cannot collect any kind of radioactive data whatsoever. It's also debateable if those even work, but I'm not concerned with those apps anyway.
It is possible to record data using a specific instrument designed to attach to a phone, but these devices are extremely overpriced for their much worse reliability and inaccuracy in data reading. You're paying substantially more for the convenience of plugging a usb-fitted tube into your phone so you don't have to carry around a larger unit, but an actual geiger counter will have been calibrated and tested specifically for its purpose. I would argue that a lot of these tube-to-phone devices are also fitted with vastly inferior geiger muller tubes, perhaps even something else entirely. There's a chance for a huge margin of error in your readings- a geiger counter is NOT something you want a huge margin of error on!
A GQ GMC 500+ Geiger Counter
