Radioactive Mineral Sales & Shipping Policy

All radioactive mineral specimens offered by Radman Minerals are sold strictly as collector specimens intended for mineralogical study, display, and educational purposes. Sales are restricted to buyers 18 years of age or older. These specimens are naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), most commonly containing uranium- or thorium-bearing minerals, and are not intended for ingestion, medicinal use, or any application outside of responsible private or institutional collecting. All listed activity readings (measured in counts per minute, CPM) are taken using an SE International Ranger EXP Geiger counter under consistent conditions; readings are provided for reference and comparison purposes only, and will vary depending on the instrument, probe type, and distance used at the buyer's end.

CNSC Compliance

Radman Minerals' shipping practices for radioactive mineral specimens are structured to comply with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulations governing the transport and export of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Rather than navigate the varying and often unclear import regulations for radioactive material across different countries, we've adopted a blanket domestic-only shipping policy for all radioactive specimens sold to private collectors, with international shipment made available only to accredited institutions — universities, museums, and research organizations — under an exception pathway that allows for appropriate documentation and end-use verification. This approach keeps our export practices unambiguous and defensible rather than attempting to assess compliance on a country-by-country, case-by-case basis. If you're an institution seeking specimens for research or teaching purposes and are unsure whether your situation qualifies under this pathway, reach out and we'll walk through what's needed.

Shipping Restrictions

Shipping of radioactive specimens is currently restricted to destinations within Canada. This policy is not a reflection of any known hazard in ordinary transit. Rather, it's a precautionary measure taken in light of varying international regulations around the import of radioactive materials, and to keep our export practices unambiguously compliant with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) guidance. We are not able to make exceptions to this for individual retail buyers at this time, regardless of destination country. Institutions such as universities, museums, and teaching collections seeking specimens for research or educational use may contact us directly to discuss an institutional exception pathway, which may allow for international shipment under appropriate documentation.

Safe Handling

Our radioactive specimens are, at normal handling distances and durations, low-risk collector items; most present modest external gamma exposure when held briefly at arm's length. That said, we recommend a few sensible precautions with any radioactive specimen: avoid prolonged or repeated direct handling, particularly holding a specimen against skin for extended periods; wash hands after handling; never eat, drink, or smoke while handling specimens; and keep specimens away from children and pets. Some specimens, particularly high-activity secondary uranium minerals, can produce meaningfully elevated readings at close range, and we disclose this wherever relevant in a listing. If you want more detail on a specific specimen's handling considerations before purchasing, we're glad to advise.

Storage Guidance

Store radioactive specimens in a ventilated display area rather than a sealed container, closed drawer, or airtight display case. Radon gas is a natural decay product of uranium- and thorium-bearing minerals, and its daughter products can accumulate in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces over time; a specimen on an open shelf poses negligible concern, while the same specimen sealed in a small closed box for months is a different situation. Avoid storing radioactive specimens in bedrooms or other spaces where you spend extended, close, or overnight periods of time. Buyers are solely responsible for the ongoing safe storage and handling of any specimen after it is received. The guidance above reflects generally accepted collector practice, but it remains the buyer's responsibility to store and handle their specimens in a manner they're comfortable with, and to seek further information if needed.

Right of Refusal

Radman Minerals reserves the right to refuse the sale of any radioactive specimen, at our sole discretion, to any buyer or for any destination. This includes, but isn't limited to, situations where we're unable to verify a buyer's age or shipping destination, where we have concerns about a specimen's intended use, or where local regulations around a buyer's location are unclear or unfavourable to us. We take this seriously precisely because we want continued, uncomplicated access to sell this category of material at all. A small number of poorly handled sales is the fastest way for that access to disappear for collectors generally.

By purchasing a radioactive specimen from Radman Minerals, buyers acknowledge they are doing so as an informed collector, that the item is intended for lawful private or institutional collection use only, and that they assume full responsibility for the specimen's storage, handling, and disposition upon receipt. Questions about any listing, including requests for a specific Geiger counter reading prior to purchase, are always welcome. We'd rather answer a question up front than have a buyer receive a specimen they weren't fully prepared for.