We do not accept physical samples without a preliminary visual (photo) inspection of a sample.
***Please note, most samples are NOT approved for physical submission.
The fee for Preliminary Photo Evaluation of a suspected meteorite is: $50 per sample and is non-refundable.
You may submit up to 5 images of the same sample for evaluation.
*Please note that evaluations are done on a first come first serve basis and evaluation and reports are completed by a part time volunteer resource. Geo Labs’ Preliminary photo evaluations can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to be completed and delivered. At times of high volume this can be extended to an 8 to 12 week delivery period. We apologize for the inconvenience.
To Begin: use the "Choose image" button above to upload up to 5 high resolution pictures in good lighting from several angles. Pictures should be sharp and each show the entire stone or sample and be clear enough to zoom in and see surface detail.
Magnetic Response: in the "notes" section of the photo upload tool, please indicate the level of magnetic response to a neodymium magnet from: 0 to 10. These magnets are widely available and can be found at most Home Depot hardware stores and Hobby Lobby craft stores. Using a relative scale of 0 to 10, indicate how the sample responds, with 0 being no response and 10 being equal to solid iron. This will help us determine the approximate amount of free Iron (Fe) in the material and how effective the XRF analysis will be for Meteoritical identification.
Contacting US: The STEP 1 Preliminary Photo Evaluation is the best way to initiate engagement with us. Please don't call us or email us, as we simply do not have the staff to handle direct phone calls or extended email communications about your sample.
Our visual analysis will be based entirely on the images and reported magnetic response. If you must communicate something about the sample that is not immediately evident in the photographs, please do so in the notes section during the photo upload process.
If we have any questions about your sample or need to communicate something about it, we will email you directly. We will not respond to emails or phone calls with general inquiries about your sample(s) or the results. We understand that you may disagree or wish to discuss / dispute the results of our visual evaluation, but due to staff and time constraints we cannot participate in this process. You are fully entitled to, and encouraged to seek a second opinion. If you suspect we may have made an error in our visual analysis, we highly recommend you do seek a second opinion. Due to staffing constraints we will not respond to requests for response to a third party's second opinion.