crystalchase21
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I like growing crystals out of common household materials such as salt, sugar and fertilizer. And alum crystals are one of the easiest crystals to grow. Alum is a type of salt used in baking, deodorant and water purification.
It's really easy to grow small diamond shaped crystals with alum, but I thought I'd challenge myself to see how big I could get them to grow, and here's the result. I'm pretty happy with it.
If you guys are interested in growing your own crystals, you can find more info in this article that I wrote: https://crystalverse.com/why-you-should-grow-crystals/
MKaiser
@op do you have to put any kind of coating on it to protect the crystal?
usualnamewasteken
Alum can also be used to dissolve a steel thread tap that you broke into an aluminum part...
Tesaphine
ac0lyte
Grow your own in d8
bripi
STUNNING display, nice and well done! Will be accessing your link for my science classes!
DaisyfromDownunder
I'd rather grow the Herb Superb.
gbtuba04
That's a nice d8!
TheFastpaws
Neat!
Xcelion
@OP, is it naturally pink, or did you have to dye it?
crystalchase21
A bit of chrome alum was added. Chrome alum is dark purple. Mixed with regular alum, it becomes pink.
BearbaFett
That's lovely! How long do they stay nice looking given they’re water soluble? | live in the southern US and worry I'll put in time to grow something awesome only to have it get dull and cloudy with all the totally wonderful and not at all gross humidity here.
theskepticinme
Hey I’ve seen some of your videos. Nice!
MoschopsUK
mjperk
How hard is it @OP? Could it be cut and polished? Like Mohs hardness of at least 5 or maybe 6?
crystalchase21
Unfortunately not. It's brittle and water soluble. Mohs hardness 2-3.
mjperk
Bummer. Still cool AF though! I've always thought growing your own crystals looked like a fun hobby. I struggle in the patience department though. :) Nice work!
SamHandwhich
This is beautiful. Could you leave something like this out on a desk as a decoration or would the air eventually cloud it or change its composition?
TyphoonMuscles
Does it look nice and regular like that naturally or did you cut it? Really cool either way.
NotAllowedToArgueUnlessYouPay
If careful with the conditions they grow that way. That shape reflects the internal arrangement of the atomic crystal structure which keeps repeating as the crystal grows. The atoms do all the work.
marccchavez1
Try chrome alum next. Lovely purple
cousteau
Like this? /gallery/i-spent-1-month-growing-this-alum-crystal-home-gGeg5EB
LegosBearsAndSex
Slower, you slut. ;)
DYLANLEE79
Passing that bladder stone must have been a bitch!
PootisBirb
Canigetbannedagain2
Naaa, now that I have a 300hp wet/dry industrial shop vac, those kidneys stones are no longer a problem.
cousteau
Uh…
DocGigglez
I named this one shredder. You know, in memory of my urethra.
cousteau
I'm still traumatized by my latest kidney stone. It was... traumatic.
TheGodEmperorOfChaos
That's how it got it's pink color.
Cebrail
I love these Crystal people. "I spent x months growing this" as if it was inside their womb or something :D
TMCybersnark
Altqwenta
Wow. This is fascinating. I think I see "imperfections". Is there a way to avoid this? I mean, its not bad and kind of feels like a personality for the cristals. How ever it would be nice to grow one without those, or even to try to grow them in a specific pattern.
3nd3rwiggin
Want to make this staff real someday. Just need to grow or find a smoked quarts or similar looking crystal.
VincitQuiSeVincit
MaybeIllDisappear
FoxVoxDK
Isn't alum salt used as a scent/smell neutralizer?
cousteau
I've seen it used (and used it myself) as a deodorant, so probably. It also helps shave cuts to stop bleeding.
FoxVoxDK
Neat.
Pilgrymm
I tried to use a kit I found (back in the 90's) to make crystals once and just ended up with weird coral-like crystals that just disappointed me. The box advertised crystals that looked more like what your article shows but all I could make was sadness.
crystalchase21
Yeah those kits aren't always reliable. Sometimes the temperature isn't correct, or the volume of the solution isn't enough. When this happens, instead of crystals forming under the solution, you have corals forming on top of the solution.
Pilgrymm
Well when my kid is old enough maybe I can show him how to properly make nice crystals one day ( he's 2)
dlshark
tavinjer
Realized the other day that Evangelion’s thesis is “if God showed up and tried to say hi we’d just keep building bigger guns until we could kill him”
Magpiebones
I thought NGE is about how god/the angels from space are trying to wipe out humanity?
Einstein9073
That is a surface level truth. Once you get a few episodes in, they start showing you some of the deeper truths beneath that.
smashpro1
tavinjer
I don’t recall exactly but I feel like the spirit of the story is that it wouldn’t matter what their motives were; we’ll fuck it all up ourselves regardless
LunarEntropy
We wanna go out on our own terms.
davoodoochief
What does it taste like?
AwwYEE
LIGGIT!!! https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1MmZib3c1OTk5a2dkY2N3aHIwMDNtbzZuZTBuZHlidGE5eWwzaGxoeSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/iDgshzou381JfBt0wK/200w.webp
servingmytimeinusersub
Extremely bitter. It's used for cooking and water purification
frio
I did once grow alum crystals (I gave up quick and didn't grow them beyond a few mm) and since at least the kind of alum I had is not toxic, I tasted it.
frio
Oops pressed enter, it tastes kinda like the cartoon "sucking on a lemon" effect.
landofbob
Yes... I want to know as well.
Nephelus
He said Alum is a type of salt so I'd guess: "salty".