Have you ever wondered how those beautiful, sparkling crystals are formed? Growing your own crystals at home is an enjoyable hobby that allows you to produce gorgeous, unique structures through simple science experiments. This beginner’s guide will teach you everything you need to get started with crystal growing, from understanding crystal structures to troubleshooting common problems. With just a few affordable materials and following straightforward steps, you’ll be growing stunning crystals in no time!
What Are Crystals and Why Grow Them?
Crystals are solid substances in which the atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The word “crystal” comes from the Greek word for ice “krustallos.” Water freezes into ice crystals with a defined geometrical shape.
Growing crystals is a fun and educational science experiment. It allows you to observe some of the same crystal structures and shapes that occur naturally in minerals and gemstones. Growing your own crystals enables you to produce beautiful, sparkling specimens that can be used for art, crafts, home decor, jewelry, and more. It’s an engaging hands-on learning activity for children and adults alike.
The history of crystal growing dates back thousands of years, with the earliest known manmade crystals being lead crystals from Mesopotamia. Modern crystal growing techniques were pioneered in the 17th and 18th centuries as the field of crystallography emerged. Today crystal growing remains important for both research and recreational purposes.
Types of Crystals
There are several major categories and classifications of crystals:
Natural vs. Synthetic
- Natural crystals form unaided in nature over thousands of years, such as quartz and diamond.
- Synthetic crystals are manmade under controlled laboratory conditions, like cubic zirconia and synthetic quartz.
Organic vs. Inorganic
- Organic crystals contain carbon, such as sucrose.
- Inorganic crystals do not contain carbon, like salt and metals.
Polymorphs
- Polymorphs are crystals of the same chemical compound with different arrangements of the molecules. For example, graphite and diamond are polymorphs of carbon.
Crystal Growing Techniques
There are three main techniques for growing crystals at home:
Evaporation
The evaporation technique involves dissolving the crystal-forming substance in hot water, allowing the solution to cool down slowly, and evaporating the solvent to leave behind crystals.
Materials Needed
- Crystal-forming compound like alum, epsom salts, or borax
- Glass jar or clear plastic container
- Water
- Saucepan
- Wooden skewer, popsicle stick, or pencil
Step-by-Step Procedure
- Heat up water in a saucepan until it is boiling.
- Add the crystal forming compound to the water and stir until fully dissolved into a saturated solution.
- Carefully pour the hot solution into the glass jar or plastic container.
- Add a wooden skewer, popsicle stick, or pencil into the solution with one end touching the bottom of the container. This will serve as the seed crystal.
- Cover the container with plastic wrap or foil, poking one small hole for ventilation.
- Let the solution cool slowly at room temperature. Do not disturb or move it.
- As the water evaporates, crystals will start forming on the seed crystal and expand outward into the solution.
- Allow the crystals to fully form for 1-2 weeks. The slower the evaporation, the larger the crystals.
Tips for Success
- Use distilled or filtered water for purer crystal results.
- Make sure the solution is fully saturated to allow for maximum crystal growth.
- Try adding food coloring or glitter to create colored crystals.
- Gently rinse the crystals with cold water once formed to remove any residue.
Cooling
The cooling technique relies on cooling a hot, saturated solution down to form crystals as it reaches the compound’s saturation point.
Materials Needed
- Crystal-forming substance
- Water
- Saucepan
- Glass or jar
Step-by-Step Procedure
- Heat up water in a saucepan until boiling.
- Add the crystal-forming compound and stir constantly until fully dissolved into a saturated solution.
- Remove the saucepan from heat.
- Slowly pour the hot solution into a glass jar or container.
- Insert a seed crystal or small object like a popsicle stick into the solution.
- Allow the solution to cool down slowly and undisturbed. Do not accelerate cooling.
- Once cooled to room temperature, place the jar in the refrigerator overnight.
- Crystals should start to form on the seed crystal as the solution passes its saturation point while cooling.
- After 24 hours, remove the crystals from the solution and rinse gently.
Tips for Success
- Adding a small amount of undissolved compound can help seed crystal formation.
- Cool the solution very gradually for the best results.
- Use purified or distilled water if possible.
- Try dropping in food coloring or glitter once cool for colored crystals.
Chemical Reaction
This method relies on a chemical reaction between two solutions to form an insoluble product that precipitates out as crystals.
Materials Needed
- 2 crystal-forming chemical solutions
- Glass jar or clear plastic container
- Wooden skewer, popsicle stick, or pencil
- Eyedropper
Step-by-Step Procedure
- Prepare two saturated solutions of the crystal-forming chemicals in separate containers. Common combinations are sodium silicate + calcium chloride or sodium carbonate + calcium chloride.
- Pour one solution into the glass jar or plastic container.
- Insert a seed crystal or wooden skewer into the solution with one end touching the bottom.
- Use the eyedropper to slowly drip the second solution into the first solution.
- Crystals will start forming where the two solutions meet and react.
- Continue adding drops of the second solution slowly over several hours or days.
- Once crystal growth has slowed, remove the crystals and rinse gently.
Tips for Success
- Add drops very slowly for the best crystal formation.
- Use distilled water and clean containers.
- Try using food coloring in one solution for colored crystals.
- Change the ratio of the solutions to impact crystal size and shape.
Choosing the Right Crystal-Growing Chemicals
There are many chemicals you can use to grow crystals at home successfully and safely. Here are some of the most common and reliable options:
Alum
Alum is a hydrated double sulfate salt, most commonly potassium aluminum sulfate. It is inexpensive and readily available in the spice section of grocery stores for pickling and preserving. Alum crystals form cubic structures and have a clear, glassy appearance.
Properties
- Soluble in water
- Dissolves well in hot water
- Low toxicity
Uses
- Food additive
- Water purification
- Aftershave treatment
Safety Precautions
- Irritating to skin, eyes, and if ingested
- Avoid breathing in alum dust
- Wear gloves when handling
Borax
Borax is the mineral sodium borate. It is available as a white powder and can be found in the laundry aisle for use as a laundry booster. Borax forms prismatic monoclinic crystals.
Properties
- Soluble in water
- Low toxicity
Uses
- Household cleaner
- Laundry booster
- Slime/putty recipes
Safety Precautions
- Avoid eye contact
- Do not ingest
- Not hazardous but use gloves as a precaution
Epsom Salts
Epsom salt is hydrated magnesium sulfate. Its name comes from a salty spring located in Epsom, England. Epsom salt is inexpensive and readily available at pharmacies as a soak for aches and pains. The crystals are formed in the orthorhombic system.
Properties
- Very soluble in water
- Transparent crystals
Uses
- Bath salt
- Laxative
- Gardening fertilizer
Safety Precautions
- Generally safe but avoid ingesting in very large quantities
- Low toxicity
Seed Crystals
Seed crystals provide nucleation sites that allow crystals to start forming and growing in a solution. Using a seed crystal is the easiest way to grow large, well-defined crystals.
What is a Seed Crystal?
A seed crystal is a tiny crystal fragment added to the solution before crystal growth begins. The molecules in the solution are attracted to and start solidifying on the ordered seed crystal structure. This determines the orientation of crystal growth.
Types of Seed Crystals
- Grains of undissolved crystal compound
- Tiny crystal fragments
- Small objects like wooden skewers, popsicle sticks, or pencils
- A chip of an existing crystal
- Chemical crystals from previous batches
How to Make Seed Crystals
- Prepare a saturated solution of the crystal chemical.
- Allow small crystals to form spontaneously.
- Remove the small crystals and dry on a paper towel. These will serve as seed crystals.
- Store the crystals in a sealed container until ready to use for seeding the growth of larger crystals.
Crystal Shapes and Structures
Understanding crystal shapes and structures allows you to identify the crystals you grow and troubleshoot any formation issues.
Common Crystal Shapes
Crystals can form in an amazing variety of shapes based on their internal molecular structure:
- Cubic – Cube forms like salt, pyrite
- Hexagonal – Hexagon-based shapes like quartz, beryl
- Orthorhombic – Rectangular prisms like aragonite, olivine
- Monoclinic – Parallelogram prisms like gypsum, malachite
- Triclinic – Irregular, asymmetric crystals like amazonite, kyanite
- Rhombic – Diamond-shaped like magnesium oxide, sapphire
- Tetragonal – Square prisms like wulfenite, zircon
- Trigonal – Triangular pyramids like calcite, tourmaline
Crystal Lattice Structures
The atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly, three-dimensional repeating pattern called a crystal lattice. The type of lattice determines many of a crystal’s macroscopic properties.
- Cubic – Simple cube pattern like halite, garnet
- Hexagonal – Hexagon pattern like quartz, beryl
- Orthorhombic – Rectangular prisms like sulfur, olivine
- Monoclinic – Skewed parallelograms like gypsum, malachite
- Triclinic – Irregular, asymmetric like microcline, kyanite
Identifying Crystal Structures
- Notice the external shape and geometry of the crystal
- Observe how it reflects and refracts light
- Consider the composition of the crystal-forming material
- Reference crystallography guides
Troubleshooting Common Crystal Growing Problems
Growing perfect crystals every time takes practice! Here are some common issues and how to fix them:
Cloudy Crystals
Cause: Impure water, vibration, rapid growth
Solution: Use distilled water, isolate from vibrations, slow evaporation
Small Crystals
Cause: Under-saturated solution, rapid cooling
Solution: Increase compound concentration, slow cooling rate
No Crystal Growth
Cause: Insufficient supersaturation
Solution: Increase solute concentration, lower temperature
Uneven Crystal Growth
Cause: Temperature fluctuations, vibration
Solution: Maintain steady temperature, isolate from vibrations
Decorating and Displaying Your Crystals
Once you’ve grown some beautiful crystals, there are endless ways to decorate, enhance, and showcase them:
Painting Crystals
- Use acrylic, watercolor, or nail polish to add color
- Metallic paints create a gleaming effect
- Use a small brush to hand-paint the crystal faces
Adding Glitter
- Mix glitter into the solution prior to crystal growth
- Use glitter glue to coat fully formed crystals
Crystal Jewelry
- Wire wrap crystals into pendants, earrings, and necklaces
- Glue crystals onto jewelry findings for a sparkling effect
Displaying Crystals
- Place crystals into glass jars or terrariums
- Create a crystal garden landscape
- Use crystals as table decorations or candle holders
Fun Applications for DIY Crystals
Beyond their innate beauty, homegrown crystals have many fun applications:
Science Experiments
- Demonstrate crystal lattice structures
- Examine crystal symmetry and geometry
- Learn about saturation, solubility, and supersaturation
Art Projects
- Make crystal-infused candles, soaps, or cosmetics
- Embed crystals into jewelry, sculptures, and more
- Grow enormous crystals as decor statement pieces
Home Décor
- Use crystals as accents in centerpieces, terrariums, potpourri
- Create crystal-adorned suncatchers, lamps, vases, mirrors
Jewelry Making
- Wire wrap or glue crystals into pendants, rings, bracelets
- Use small crystals as embellishments on jewelry findings
Safety Precautions When Growing Crystals
While most crystal-growing chemicals have low toxicity, it’s smart to take the following precautions:
Handling Chemicals Properly
- Wear gloves, goggles, and a mask when handling dry chemicals
- Avoid generating or breathing in dusts
- Work in a well-ventilated area
Safe Chemical Disposal
- Do not pour chemicals down the drain
- Dilute in water and discard in trash
- Check local hazardous waste disposal guidelines
Use Protective Gear
- Wear gloves and goggles when handling solutions
- Avoid contact with eyes and skin
Conclusion
Growing stunning crystals is an incredibly rewarding hobby that produces unique works of natural art. This guide covers everything beginners need to get started, from basic techniques to safety best practices. Growing your own crystals allows you to explore dazzling geometries and chemistries firsthand. We’ve only scratched the surface of the magic and wonder contained within these orderly, repeating structures! Whether you want to make decorative treasures, educate kids, or just spark your inner scientist, crystal growing is a fascinating pursuit that provides a lifetime of joy and learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best chemicals to use for crystal growing?
Some of the most reliable chemicals are alum, borax, and epsom salts. These are inexpensive and readily available. Other good options include sodium silicate, potassium chloride, sodium acetate, and copper sulfate. Be sure to follow safety precautions when handling any chemicals.
What solutions work best for crystal growing?
Saturated or supersaturated solutions are ideal for allowing crystals to form. Heat up distilled water until boiling, add your chemical, and stir until fully dissolved. Let the solution cool slowly and undisturbed to form large crystals through evaporation or cooling.
How can I make different colored crystals?
Adding a tiny amount of food coloring or liquid watercolors to the solution can create vibrant crystals. For example, add a drop of red coloring to grow pink crystals. You can also coat finished crystals using acrylic paint. Metallic and iridescent paints work well for a striking effect.
What are some creative ways to display my crystals?
There are endless options for showcasing your crystals artfully. Place small crystals into glass terrariums with sand or moss. Use large crystals as Statement pieces on shelves. Turn crystals into jewelry like wire-wrapped pendants. Embed them into candle making projects or home decor items like suncatchers.
How can I prevent cloudy crystals from forming?
Cloudiness is usually caused by impure water or too-rapid growth. Use distilled or filtered water for clarity. Grow the crystals very slowly, keeping the solution extremely still and not disturbing it. Vibrations can disrupt the lattice formation, so isolate it on a stable, vibration-free surface. Patient, controlled growth results in flawless, transparent crystals.