How to Send Sands

If you've never mailed sands before, there are a lot of ways to do it. Here are a few tips I've learned both from experience and from other arenophiles.

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​Include the location of where the sand was collected. GPS coordinates are ideal, however just the nearest town or county is good enough!

Be sure your sample is as dry and clean as possible. To dry, lay out the sand on a cookie sheet or tray for several days or longer. Many countries regulate sediments because they can contain microbes or invasive plant matter; depending on how dirty your sample is, you may want to take any/all of the precautions: 

• pick out as much organic material as possible;
• soak in an ethanol (rubbing alcohol) bath;
• heat treat in an oven;
• submerge in water and sift off floating debris.

Be sure to identify each bag/vial. Many people put all the information on a sticker and attach it to the bags. I put a very general location label on the bag and then include a paper with more detailed information on each. Sometimes stickers can fall off or labels written in marker rub off, so another option is to place a slip of paper in the bag with each sample.
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Pack securely. There are many different ways to do this. The most common is to seal the baggies and tape them flattened on a piece of stiff paper or cardboard and mail in an envelope. I prefer to tape the top of each baggie and then put 2-3 bagged samples each in a larger bag (for extra safety). I usually mail in a box, using newspaper or other packing materials to thoroughly cushion the samples as they tend to slide around and break open otherwise.

For international customs forms, it is important to not use the terms "sand", "sediment", or "soil" as it generally arouses suspicion of carrying biologic/microbial pests in them, even if you've disinfected the sample. Instead, label it something like "clean geologic samples for decoration" or "clean, free geologic specimen for study". As a further precautionary measure, I also often include a note within the package in both English and the receiving country's language indicating how the sample has been sanitized and that it is a gift for education or decoration only, just in case it is opened by customs.