Temperature-dependent equilibrium partitioning of elements between different mineral (or melt/glass) phases forms the basis of geothermometry. In natural rock systems it is necessary to determine whether equilibrium partitioning of a given element was obtained between two phases before calculating temperatures using the tool. With the improvement of spatial resolution of analytical tools and our understanding of solidstate kinetics it has become clear that compositional heterogeneities on different scales exist in mantle rocks because of incomplete equilibration, and a kinetic evaluation is necessary before application of geothermometers. This work summarizes the kinetic situations that may arise and provides some guidelines and criteria for testing whether partitioning equilibrium was obtained. A suite of dunites and harzburgites from an ophiolite suite in the Himalaya (Xigaze, Tibet) is used to illustrate the application of some of these concepts. It is shown that when compositions used for geothermometry are chosen bearing these kinetic considerations in mind, a systematic pattern of freezing temperatures is obtained from the geothermometers. These data provide insights into the cooling histories of these rocks with complex, multistage (e.g. melt percolation) histories. Some potential pitfalls for geospeedometry are also illustrated along the way.