Over the last decade the technique of X-ray fluorescence has evolved from dependence on laboratory-based, stand-alone units to the field use of portable and lightweight handheld devices. These portable instruments have given researchers in art conservation and archaeology the opportunity to study a broad range of materials with greater accessibility and flexibility than ever before.

In addition, the low relative cost of handheld XRF has led many museums, academic institutions, and cultural centers to invest in the devices for routine materials analysis purposes. Although these...