Microanalytical Reference Materials

A number of microanalytical reference materials are available for purchase from IAGeo Limited, most of which are from our collaboration with the Mineralogical and Geological Museum, Harvard University. A single aliquot consists of approximately 100 mg of material.

Zircon 91500

This single crystal has been widely used for U-Th-Pb geochronology and δ18O studies and it has also been characterised for trace element and Hf-isotope contents. The relevant information is given in Wiedenbeck et al. (1995, 2004).

Purchase Code Name Material *Price
Zircon 91500 Zircon 91500 Zircon 300 GBP
*discount available to IAG members

Reference Materials for Electron Microprobe

In the early 1990s a number of Harvard materials were characterized for use as RMs specifically for the analysis of oxygen concentration as determined by electron microprobe. These are described in McGuire et al. (1992).

Purchase Code Name Material *Price
Feldspar 131705 Harvard 131705 albite 150 GBP
Garnet 112140 Harvard 112140 almandine 150 GBP
Biotite 131627 Harvard 131627 biotite 150 GBP
Corundum 126097 Harvard 126097 corundum 150 GBP
Dolomite 105064 Harvard 105064 dolomite 150 GBP
Pyroxene 131709 Harvard 131709 enstatite 150 GBP
Olivine 131929 Harvard 131929 forsterite 150 GBP
Gahnite 111989 Harvard 111989 gahnite 150 GBP
Hematite 92649 Harvard 92649 hematite 150 GBP
Kaersutite 131928 Harvard 131928 kaersutite 150 GBP
Muscovite 112791 Harvard 112791 muscovite 150 GBP
Quartz 122838 Harvard 122838 quartz 150 GBP
Sillimanite 131013 Harvard 131013 sillimanite 150 GBP
*discount available to IAG members

Reference Materials for Light Elements

In the early 2000s a suite of mineral phases was characterized for their light element contents and isotopic compositions. These are described in Dyar et al. (2001) and Leeman et al. (2001).

Purchase Code Name Material *Price
Dravite 108796 Harvard 108796 dravite tourmaline 300 GBP
Elbaite 98144 Harvard 98144 elbaite tourmaline 300 GBP
Schorl 112566 Harvard 112566 schorl tourmaline 300 GBP
Tourmaline Set Tourmaline Set dravite / elbaite / schorl (1 unit of each) 450 GBP
Danburite 115089 Harvard 115089 danburite 150 GBP
Ferroaxinite 133711 Harvard 133711 ferroaxinite 150 GBP
Hamburgite 102984 Harvard 102984 hamburgite 150 GBP
Muscovite 98973 Harvard 98973 muscovite 150 GBP
Phenakite 133409 Harvard 133409 phenakite 150 GBP
Spodumene 80017 Harvard 80017 spodumene 150 GBP
*discount available to IAG members

Additional Reference Materials from the Harvard Collection

There are additional materials from the Harvard Mineralogical and Geological Museum’s collection which are also available. These materials are currently being studied by the IAG to increase their utility as microanalytical reference materials.

Purchase Code Name Material *Price
Monazite 117531 Harvard 117531 monazite – no longer available
Obsidian 3506 Harvard 3506 Lipari obsidian glass 150 GBP
*discount available to IAG members

References for zircon 91500:
Wiedenbeck, M., Allé, P., Corfu, F., Griffin, W.L., Meier, M., Oberli, F., Von Quadt, A., Roddick, J.C. and Spiegel, W. (1995). Three Natural Zircon Standards For U-Th-Pb, Lu-Hf, Trace Element and REE Analyses. Geostandards Newsletter, 19(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908X.1995.tb00147.x

Wiedenbeck, M., Hanchar, J.M., Peck, W.H., Sylvester, P., Valley, J., Whitehouse, M., Kronz, A., Morishita, Y., Nasdala, L., Fiebig, J., Franchi, I., Girard,J.-P., Greenwood, R.C.,  Hinton, R., Kita, N., Mason, P.R.D., Norman, M., Ogasawara, M., Piccoli, P.M., Rhede, D.,  Satoh, H., Schulz-Dobrick, B., Skår, O., Spicuzza, M.J., Terada, K., Tindle, A., Togashi, S.,  Vennemann, T., Xie, Q. and Zheng Y.-F. (2004). Further Characterisation of the 91500 Zircon Crystal. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 28(1), 9-39. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908X.2004.tb01041.x

References for EPMA materials:
McGuire, A.V., Francis, C.A. and Dyar, M.D. (1992). Mineral standards for electron microprobe analysis of oxygen. American Mineralogist, 77, 1087-1091.

References for light elements:
Dyar, M.D., Wiedenbeck, M., Robertson, D., Cross, L.R., Delaney, J.S., Ferguson, K., Francis, C.A., Grew, E.S., Guidotti, C.V., Hervig, R.L., Hughes, J.M., Husler, J., Leeman, W., McGuire, A.V., Rhede, D., Rothe, H., Paul, R.L., Richards, I. and Yates, M. (2001). Reference minerals for microanalysis of light elements. Geostandards Newsletter, 25, 441-463.

Leeman, W.P. and Tonarini, S. (2001). Boron isotopic analysis of proposed borosilicate mineral reference samples. Geostandards Newsletter, 25, 399-403.