Uranium Cube // Autunite Crystal // 2"

Why Buy Uranium
Not many people can say that they own a piece of actual uranium. This sample of Uranium is a beautiful green crystal called Autunite.

Technical Information
The Cube is 50% uranium by mass and is a naturally forming crystal of Uranium. Natural uranium contains about 0.7% uranium-235 which is the fissionable isotope used in nuclear reactors. This sample has about 2.5 grams of autunite which translates to about 8.75mg of the same isotope that nuclear bombs are made out of! The remaining 99.3% is U-238, also known as depleted uranium.

Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. In it's pure form it is a silvery-grey metal but this sample is obviously not the metal form. Uranium is part of the actinide series of the periodic table.

Most people think of modern technology when they hear the word uranium since it is the key element in nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. However, Uranium was actually used as far back as the middle ages as a color additive to glass.

Regulations
It is not regulated by law because it is a natural crystal specimen. It is license exempt and considered a Radioactive Ore Sample or Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). That being said, Autunite is becoming increasingly hard to find and collect.

Safety
The acrylic shields most of the Alpha and Beta particles. The background radiation you are exposed to every day is about 30CPM, while this sample measures anywhere from 60 to 120 CPM - about 2 to 4 times the background radiation. In comparison, you are exposed to more radiation when flying on an airplane or getting an x-ray. The FDA allows for a person to consume about 20mg of uranium in their drinking water every year. The bottom line is that this cube is extremely safe to own.