FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Cesar M. Salvan]

Hi Mark,

Indeed to obtain silver metal is very easy, but I still can not obtain crystals, only dendrites or tree-like growths, that, senso stricto are crystals, but with a particular growing pattern. In principle, a good designed electrochemical cell should work in the home growth of nice silver crystals.

The bismuth is easy to crystallize. And its low melting point allow the crystallization at "kitchen level". A furnace is the ideal tool, not for temperature, but for control: growing good developed crystals requires room and a slow drop in temperature in the vicinity of melting point. After some trial and error, is possible to obtain beautiful centimeter size crystals using a cooking pot. Is not necessary to use high purity bismuth. The cheapest "technical" grade works fine.

[Mark Beregszaszi]

Thanks Cesar :)

I will try to obtain some bismuth and try to grow some crystals of them

[cascaillou]

Did you hear of the curse of Tutankhaillou?
That's me being burried with a necklace around my neck consisting of a beautiful cut green stone set in beryllium metal, the stone being a synthetic uranium-beryllium silicate.
Anyone daring tomb-raiding me in the next centuries will be neutron-cursed, and there start the legend, mouhahahahaha!

Time for my pills...

[trtlman]

At what temperature does bismuth melt and where can obtain some?

[Turbo]

Modern lead-free fishing sinkers are alloys of tin and bismuth. They melt under a flame.

[trtlman]

[Mark Beregszaszi]

So if I take some lead-free fishing sinkers, put them in ccHCl, then the tin will dissolve and the bismuth will remain, right?

[Turbo]

The lead-free ones tend to be brighter and shinier and they do not tarnish as dark as lead. Not sure if a stovetop would work well. I recommend working in a ventilated area just in case.

[trtlman]

After a google search stove top will melt bismuth, slowly but surely.

[trtlman]

I assume home grown silver is not real silver, otherwise people would grow their own silver instead of buying it.

[Cesar M. Salvan]

Trtlman, you're kidding, right?

Some more home grown crystals. This crystals have been developed using the technique of gel crystallization. Is very useful to study the role of impurities, for example, in habit or crystal growth. The slow evaporation or cooling of saturated solutions are only two methods for "home" crystal growth. There are some strategies, including those for the growth of crystals of the less soluble salts.

[Mark Beregszaszi]

"I assume home grown silver is not real silver, otherwise people would grow their own silver instead of buying it. "

Daniel that is a really touchy subject you are poking into now.
I am not supposed to tell you this...but...
Home-grown silver is real silver...
But very very few know about this. Very few know that you can actually grow silver at home...
This is a secret only the initiates of the Guild of the Ancient Alchemists know about!
This is why just a very few people grow silver at home. The ancient method is passed down through the generations in great secrecy.
If everyone knew about this, then people would start mass producing silver at home, the price of this precious metal would drop fastly and global market would crush. That is something we would not want to happen.
I hope I will not be expelled from the Guild for telling you this, so please keep this a secret, alright?

[trtlman]

I figured it was real silver but knowing nothing on chemistry always wondered if it was the same as pure silver. About an hour of searching online I found out it is but the ingredients cost more than the silver, lol. I have never taken a chemistry lesson in my life so I am still uneducated in that subject. The acetate needles are cool and look like a fun project.

[Mark Beregszaszi]

Sorry Jordi, I could not resist...

[trtlman]