Grow your own
Crystals! These crystals will be similar in appearance to the snowy white, cave aragonite found in Chihuahua, Mexico.
This product is a perfect gift for children and adults alike. The crystals will be delicate. To keep them in pristine condition for years to come, it is suggested they be stored in a clear glass or acrylic box.
Below, please see the journal and succession of photos of our crystal growing experience, beginning with Day 1.
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Day 1, July 3, 2007
5:00 am: We placed our "Seed" in a clear glass bowl and covered it completely with white vinegar. Immediately, you could see the rock absorbing the vinegar by the many streams of bubbles. When we returned home at 6:00 pm there were still some bubbles, but not nearly as many. The vinegar smell is very strong; we will leave it in the garage until the vinegar has evaporated.
Day 2, July 4, 2007
The bubbles have stopped and we have a plain, black rock sitting in a bowl of vinegar.
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| DAY 2 |
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Day 8, July 10, 2007 Wherever the rock is bare, the crystals are starting to grow. This particular rock has a ridge on top and the crystals extend the entire length of the ridge. The large round crystal on top is about 1/4" high.
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| Day 8 |
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Day 18 WOW - I forgot to check it during the week; look what has happened! This is amazing. The rock is just covered with tiny botroidal crystals. All of the vinegar is gone now. The fan shaped long crystals on the bottom are all over the bottom of the bowl and some stayed stuck to the rock when I lifted it out for the photo, as you can see. The sides of the dish where the vinegar used to be is now covered with a thin layer of botroidal crystals - the long thin ones are only on the bottom of the dish.
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| Day 18 |
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Popcorn Rock is a naturally occurring mineral found in a limited number of outcrops in the Great Basin of the western United States and whose amazing properties were first discovered by Utah geologist Richard D. Barnes in 1981. The same geologic processes that are at work creating the beautiful limestone formations that attract visitors from around the world to the thermal basins of Yellowstone National Park and the underground rooms of Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico are also able to produce a healthy crop of "popcorn crystals" (similar to cave aragonite) for you. Just follow the planting tips on the package.
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Days 3 & 4, July 5 & 6, 2007. The vinegar has evaporated a little - a tiny point of rock is jutting up into the air. As I look closely there is still the tiniest bit of bubble activity as though a minute bit of vinegar is still be absorbed by the "seed."
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Day 5, no change. My sister had crystals in five days. So, I got to thinking about what I could be doing wrong. I had it in the garage because of the vinegar smell. And, I had a piece of waxed paper on it to keep bugs and the cats out of it. Maybe it needs a better location with light. Saturday afternoon I set the bowl out on the picnic table outside and look what happened overnight!
Day 6 - our first crystals. Very delicate, very white, just exquisite! The crystals are growing on the bare rock where the vinegar level has gone down. Since the waxed paper has been removed the vinegar is evaporating more quickly.
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| Day 6 - I'll try to focus better tomorrow! |
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Day 12, July 14 The crystals are getting pretty. They are botroidal and look like hard sugar.
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| Day 12 |
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The three photos below from Day 18 show the crystals when looking through my BelOMO 10x loupe.
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| Day 18 BelOMO lens |
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| Day 18, picture 4 |
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