Lead, copper and iron isotopes are precisely measured for the first time in gold matrices owing to an adapted purification protocol that allows the tracing of gold sources from archaeological and historical contexts.
The one-column method to purify Cu–Fe–Zn for biological isotope analysis provides comprehensive isotope information for biological individuals.
A natural chalcopyrite sample, named IGGCcp-1, has undergone rigorous isotopic homogeneity testing and has been identified as a highly promising reference material for in situ micro-analysis of Cu–Fe–S isotopic compositions.
Copper isotopes are measured in gold matrix for the first time by LA-MC-ICP-MS with precisions and accuracies sufficient for cultural heritage studies, thanks to a femtosecond laser and the development of a minimally destructive sampling strategy.
High-precision Cu isotopic analysis in archaeometry suffers from large δ65Cu variability between ore samples from the same location.