How to Grow Crystals
Fill a jar halfway with warm water., Stir in some alum., Extract a seed crystal., Tie a string around the crystal and suspend it in the second jar., Wait a week for the crystal to grow.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Fill a jar halfway with warm water.
Make sure the jar is clean, since you don't want other substances interfering with your crystals.
It's best to use a clear jar so you can see the formation process of the crystals. -
Step 2: Stir in some alum.
Pour a few tablespoons of alum into the jar and use a spoon to stir the mixture until the alum dissolves.
Pour more alum in and continue stirring.
Keep doing this until no more alum will dissolve in the water.
Let the mixture sit for a few hours.
As the water begins to evaporate, crystals will form on the bottom of the jar.
Alum is a mineral used for pickling cucumbers and other vegetables, and can be found in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
You'll know you've reached the point where no more alum will dissolve when it begins to accumulate at the bottom of the jar. , Choose the biggest, best looking newly formed crystal to extract.
Then pour the liquid from the jar into a clean jar (try not to fill the clean jar with undissolved alum) and use a tweezers to reach down into the jar and extract the crystal from the bottom.
If the crystals are still quite small, wait a few hours before extracting a seed crystal.
If you would prefer to keep growing the crystals in the first jar, let them sit for a week or so.
At that point the bottom and sides of the jars should be lined with crystals. , Use a thin nylon string or a piece of floss.
Secure it around the crystal, then secure the other end around a pencil.
Rest the pencil on the rim of the second jar and suspend the crystal in the solution. , When the crystal has grown to a shape and size that you like, remove it from the water.
Untie the string and enjoy the crystal you have made. -
Step 3: Extract a seed crystal.
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Step 4: Tie a string around the crystal and suspend it in the second jar.
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Step 5: Wait a week for the crystal to grow.
Detailed Guide
Make sure the jar is clean, since you don't want other substances interfering with your crystals.
It's best to use a clear jar so you can see the formation process of the crystals.
Pour a few tablespoons of alum into the jar and use a spoon to stir the mixture until the alum dissolves.
Pour more alum in and continue stirring.
Keep doing this until no more alum will dissolve in the water.
Let the mixture sit for a few hours.
As the water begins to evaporate, crystals will form on the bottom of the jar.
Alum is a mineral used for pickling cucumbers and other vegetables, and can be found in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
You'll know you've reached the point where no more alum will dissolve when it begins to accumulate at the bottom of the jar. , Choose the biggest, best looking newly formed crystal to extract.
Then pour the liquid from the jar into a clean jar (try not to fill the clean jar with undissolved alum) and use a tweezers to reach down into the jar and extract the crystal from the bottom.
If the crystals are still quite small, wait a few hours before extracting a seed crystal.
If you would prefer to keep growing the crystals in the first jar, let them sit for a week or so.
At that point the bottom and sides of the jars should be lined with crystals. , Use a thin nylon string or a piece of floss.
Secure it around the crystal, then secure the other end around a pencil.
Rest the pencil on the rim of the second jar and suspend the crystal in the solution. , When the crystal has grown to a shape and size that you like, remove it from the water.
Untie the string and enjoy the crystal you have made.
About the Author
Kyle Shaw
Brings years of experience writing about organization and related subjects.
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