How to grow artificial crystals at home?

Growing artificial crystals for jewelry is a promising business that requires little initial capital and can generate a stable income. They are widely used in modern jewelry, organizing parties and have significant advantages over natural stones. They have strength, attractive appearance, and lower cost. How can you start growing a crystal and how profitable is it?

According to Russian legislation, this business does not require permits and licenses. Their production is minimally expensive. The popularity of these products is constantly increasing, as they are affordable for mass buyers, in contrast to natural stones.

Such crystals are ideal for decorative purposes: creating Christmas tree decorations, snowflakes, ornaments instead of rain. They can be used to decorate festive costumes. There is a real opportunity to set the shape of the future crystal product.

Growing crystals - profitability calculations

About RUB 21 will cost the necessary raw materials to create a crystal similar to ruby: aluminum oxide - 7 g, chromium oxide - 0.3 g. To heat water, 3 kW / h will be spent for 1.5 hours. It costs about 5 rubles. The total cost of producing one crystal is 26 rubles. As a result, you can get highly profitable crystal production by selling these artificial gems much more expensive than their cost.

Growing crystals at home requires a lot of patience and a lot of time. But all this will pay off with decent income.

How to grow a beautiful artificial crystal

The raw material for the finished product is ordinary table salt, copper sulfate, borax and other substances.

The manufacturing technology of such a gem is very simple.

1. It is necessary to create a very saturated salt solution in a glass jar so that the crystals of the substance stop dissolving.

2. Heat slightly until the salt dissolves completely by placing a jar of salt solution in a container of warm water.

3. Pour the solution into another jar. Put a jumper across its neck, attaching a ready-made small crystal of salt to it on a thread. A new artificial crystal will grow on it in three days.

4. To obtain the desired crystal shape, you need to tie a blank in the form of a snowflake or other product on a pencil and lower it into the solution. The form should hang freely without touching the bottom.

5. This vessel must not be shaken, turned, or lifted. It should be in a warm place.

6. When the crystal has reached the desired size, take it out and dry it carefully using a paper towel or soft cloth.

7. Then the thread is cut and the crystals are covered with colorless varnish.

To obtain crystals of a higher quality, similar to real ones, you need to use a seed that is placed in a solution (aluminum or potassium chromium alum).

Growing crystals - nuances

Artificial stones can be of different colors

1. From table salt, sugar you get a colorless crystal.

2. It is best to use copper sulphate to obtain crystals in order to obtain crystals of a bright blue color, similar to turquoise. This cheap substance is readily available at any gardening and gardening store. It is used to control plant pests and is very cheap.

3. Using potassium chromium alum produces amazing purple crystals similar to amethyst.

To create an artificial gem that professional jewelers may be interested in, you should purchase the necessary equipment. In this way, artificial gems up to 400 carats can be produced.

Growing crystals can be fun and rewarding if you get creative.

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Growing a real crystal is quite simple, interesting and educational. This article talks about how to do it at home.

Crystals are formed from any substance whose atoms and molecules are grouped into an ordered structure. You don't need a laboratory or special equipment to grow them. The simplest reagents that are always at hand will do.

Crystal growing is one of the easiest and safest chemical experiments available at home. Even a child of primary school age under the supervision of adults can carry it out.

The reward for your efforts will be an object of extraordinary beauty that you create with your own hands.

Crystal types

1. A monocrystal is a one-piece large crystal, such as an artificial stone. It is formed under the condition that the crystallization processes are extremely slow.
2. A polycrystal is formed when crystallization is rapid. In this case, many tiny crystals are formed. This is how metals behave.

Ways to grow crystals at home

One of the easiest ways to grow a crystal is to cool a saturated solution. What are the processes taking place at the same time?

1. In warm water, the substance chosen for the experiment (for example, salt) dissolves completely.
2. The temperature of the solution is lowered: this reduces the solubility of the salt. An undissolved salt is formed which precipitates.
3. Sediment formation begins with the formation of small grains both in the solution itself and on the surface of the container in which it is placed.
4. If there are no foreign inclusions in the solution (ordinary dust grains, villi, etc.), and cooling occurs gradually, these grains-crystals grow together into larger and more regular crystals.
5. Rapid cooling causes the formation of many tiny crystals of irregular shape at once, which do not connect to each other and inhibit the growth of each other.

The crystal will also grow if the solvent (water) is gradually removed from the saturated solution. How to do this and what will happen in the vessel?

1. Cookware with a saturated solution must be kept at a constant temperature for a long time.
2. It is necessary to exclude the ingress of litter and dust, and also to slow down the evaporation of water (for this, it is enough to cover the container with paper).
3. The crystal can be grown on some kind of suspension in the middle of the container (then it will acquire the correct shape), or at the bottom of the container.
4. If the crystal grows at the bottom, it must be rotated periodically to achieve symmetry.
5. In place of the evaporated water, add a solution of the same consistency as at the beginning of the experiment.

The basic principle in this case remains the same: the slower the processes affecting crystallization, the more beautiful, larger and more correct the crystals will be. If the original crystal, which served as the basis for growing, had an irregular shape, it will supplement the missing parts during growth and assume a configuration typical of the nature of its substance.So copper sulfate will eventually grow into a rhombus, and the salts of chromopotassium alum will form an octahedron.

It is believed that only a small crystal can grow at home from improvised means. This is not so: with due care, there is every chance to grow a crystal of any size and weight at home. In fact, for this it is enough to continue the crystallization procedure until the desired result is achieved. Of course, it is necessary to immediately select a container that is suitable in size.

Preservation of crystals

Failure to comply with storage conditions can lead to destruction of the crystal. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the selected substance in advance in order to avoid disappointment at the end of such a long and painstaking work.

For example, the chiseled edges of the alum crystal under the influence of ordinary dry air will fade due to the loss of moisture and crumble, forming a gray powder. The same will happen with sodium sulfate and thiosulfate, salts of manganese, zinc, nickel, Rochelle salt. The only way out is to place the crystals in sealed transparent vessels. Some recommend covering the crystals with a clear varnish, but this only delays the time of death. And also - the lacquered edges lose their original shine and look artificial.

The high temperature destroys crystals grown from copper sulfate and potassium alum. The life of such crystals can be extended by storage in a household refrigerator. However, even here they will hold out for about 2 years.

Another problem of crystals of water-soluble substances is that they are destroyed by temperature changes due to moisture, which is retained in a small amount inside them. For this reason, spots and chips appear, the edges are sagging, and the gloss is lost.

Perhaps the most stable of the substances popular for growing crystals is table salt.

What crystal can be grown from

In addition to the above substances, crystals at home can be grown from sugar.

It is much more difficult, but at the same time more interesting to grow artificial stones (amethysts, quartzites, rubies, etc.). This is a rather laborious process that requires special equipment to maintain a constant temperature, pressure, humidity and other parameters important for the success of the experiment. In other words, to get an artificial stone, you need a real laboratory.

What should be the substance for growing a crystal at home?

1. Safe, non-toxic. Not all substances with a crystalline structure meet this requirement. For example, potassium cyanide KCN (or sodium sulfide Na2S) also forms crystals of its characteristic shape. But it is impossible to carry out experiments with it at home, because it enters into an oxidation reaction with oxygen in the air and releases toxic substances that are dangerous to humans.
2. The second important quality is stability. That is, the selected substance must enter into a reversible reaction with water. In addition, resistance to temperature fluctuations is important. Some organic matter can be irreversibly destroyed when it gets into hot water (hydrolysis reaction).
3. The cost of reagents. As you know, the first experiment (or several) may not be very successful, therefore, for a start, it is better to opt for inexpensive and affordable substances.
4. Yes, growing crystals will require a lot of purified water - this should also be taken care of in advance.
5. The ability to dissolve in water. Before starting the experiment, you should find out how much the selected substance is required for a given volume of water. To grow a sugar crystal, for example, you need to dissolve at least 2 kg of sugar in 1 liter of water. So it is better to first draw up a graph of the solubility of the starting material. To do this, subtract the mass of the same volume of the filtered solution from the mass of a glass of water after the dissolution is over and the temperature stabilizes.This will help you get an idea of ​​how much substance for crystallization is needed for a given volume of water.

How to grow a crystal of table salt

The easiest way to practice is with regular table salt. Then you will not need special chemical reagents, only salt and purified water.

Step 1. Prepare a crystal of salt by tying it with a thin thread fixed in the middle of a small stick (pencil, pen).

Salt crystal

Purpose: to place the crystal so that it is immersed in the solution, but does not come into contact with the surface of the vessel.

Tie a crystal of salt to a thread and place it in a glass

Step 2. Pour warm water into a container (transparent so that you can observe the growth of the crystal) and add salt. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Then add salt and repeat. It is necessary to salt the water until the salt stops dissolving. This is noticeable by the appearance of sediment at the bottom of the vessel.

Step 3. The solution must be gradually heated by placing it in a container with a larger diameter with hot water. As a result, the precipitate will dissolve. If there is something left at the bottom, it is better to pour the solution into a clean container.

Step 4. Place the container with the resulting solution in a place with a stable temperature. Immerse the crystal-nucleus on a thread into the solution. From above, the vessel with the solution must be covered with paper.

We immerse the crystal-germ on a thread in a solution

Step 5. The crystallization process has started. Then, when the water evaporates, it will be necessary to add a solution of the same salt content to the container as it was at the beginning of the experiment. After a while, it will become noticeable that the original crystal has increased in size. You can grow it as much as you like, as long as the size of the container and patience are enough. The resulting crystal will be fairly durable.

How to grow a sugar crystal

Sugar crystals can be used as table decoration or candy canes for children. But they are quite expensive due to the high consumption of sugar. For 2 glasses of water, you will eventually need 5 glasses of granulated sugar.

Sugar crystals

The process for preparing a solution is similar to how it is done for salt crystals. It is most convenient to grow sugar crystals with toothpicks or wooden skewers. To "seed" it is enough to dip a skewer in syrup and dip in sugar so that it adheres evenly to the surface. You need to wait a while for the sugar to stick well and dry.

To form colored crystals, it is worth adding food coloring to the syrup (the best option is juices).

It takes 1 week to grow a sugar crystal from the specified amount of ingredients.

Sugar crystals on sticks (Video)

This video shows you how to grow edible crystals from sugar that are not only beautiful to look at, but also delicious.

How to grow a copper sulfate crystal

Salt crystals are transparent white, while copper sulfate gives a deep blue hue.

Copper sulfate crystal

Growing such a crystal is no more difficult than growing a salt one: you need a saturated solution and a crystal-nucleus on a thread.

A crystal of copper sulphate hanging on a string

In a saturated solution of copper sulfate on a thread, lower the seed

The solution in a transparent container should be placed in a shaded place with a stable temperature, the crystal should be suspended in the same way as in the case of salt, and wait, periodically adding the solution instead of the evaporated one.

42 day experiment

The crystal must not be removed from the working solution until the procedure for its formation is completed!

Safety engineering

You cannot use food utensils to grow crystals (with the exception of experiments with salt and sugar). You should not leave food nearby: firstly, because the reagents are toxic, and secondly, because of litter and crumbs, which, if they get into the solution, will ruin the experiment.

When handling chemical reagents, absolutely all the rules indicated on the package should be observed.At the end of the work, you need to wash your hands.

Growing a crystal at home is quite simple, interesting and informative. It's best to practice with the available substances first. If something goes wrong, you need to check that all the conditions necessary for the formation of a crystal are met. Having mastered the simplest crystals, you can start working with other reagents. It never gets boring, because different substances give crystals of different shapes and colors. In addition, there are no two absolutely identical crystals, and their configuration and size can be adjusted at will.

In terms of their physical properties and chemical composition, synthetic precious stones practically do not differ from natural ones. Not all items sold in jewelry stores contain natural stones. And this is quite normal. Consider how to open your own ruby ​​crystal growing business at home.

The content of the article:

• Growing with limited salts
• Auguste Verneuil method
• Determining the competition in this area
• We register home production
• Promotional activities
• A detailed method for growing crystals at home!

The main problem is that most natural stones do not have all the necessary characteristics to show off in jewelry. Stones obtained in factory or laboratory conditions have almost the same characteristics. In addition, synthetic jewelry production is cheaper than mining natural jewelry in deep and life-threatening mines.

Growing with limited salts

Potassium alum is suitable for this method. It is best to grow copper sulfate crystals at home. They do not grow well from regular salt. But copper sulfate is easy to buy, and very beautiful blue artificial gems grow from it.

1. Preparing the container. We will make a saturated salt solution in it. Pour in a few tablespoons of salt, fill it with water and stir. Add salt until it stops dissolving. Use hot water to ensure correct proportions. There are solubility curves for different salts. They show how many grams can dissolve in 100 ml of water at a certain temperature.

Solubility curves

2. We filter the solution. This step is very important, especially if you are buying copper sulfate from a garden store. If the solution is dirty, the crystal will grow with defects. We leave the solution for a day so that excess crystals fall out of it. They settle at the bottom of the glass and serve as a seed for us (the main elements on which new ones will grow).

3. We tie the crystal to the fishing line. We wrap the fishing line on a pencil and hang this device on a glass with a saturated solution. Over time, the water evaporates, the saturation of the solution increases. Excess substance that cannot be dissolved is deposited on our product.

4. Once every two weeks, add a saturated solution to the glass. Why do this? Over time, the water evaporates and at some point of growth it will not be enough and growth will stop.

Important! The added solution should be at the same temperature as the solution where the crystal grows. If it is the highest, we can spoil everything.

5. After three months we take out the crystal and dry it with a napkin.

6. Cover the product with 1-2 layers of colorless nail polish. This is necessary so that it does not dry out and does not lose its luster. After drying, the product can be taken by hand.

Here are some wonderful rubies you can grow at home!

Auguste Verneuil method

To obtain ruby ​​in laboratory conditions, an apparatus is used, invented by the French scientist Auguste Verneuil more than 100 years ago.On the Internet you can find information on the method of growing ruby ​​and more simplified equipment of the French scientist, which can be used at home. By the method of Auguste Verneuil, a ruby ​​crystal weighing 20-30 carats can be grown in 2-3 hours. It should be noted that this method also applies to the production of topaz in various shades (yellow, blue, white and transparent).

Drawing of the Verneuil apparatus

To obtain a product weighing 30 carats, you will need 3 kW * hours of electricity and 3 hours of time. In monetary terms, this will be less than $ 1. For the production of one crystal, 0.2 g of chromium oxide and 6 g of aluminum oxide powder are required, the cost of which will not exceed $ 0.50.

You don't need to be an economist to understand that even a raw crystal is sold to a jeweler and the profit will be very solid. Having pleased your wife with home-grown topaz and rubies, you will receive incomparable psychological "dividends".

Download a detailed description of the Verneuil method

Determining the competition in this area

Having entered any store, you will notice that the prices for jewelry with stones are quite high, despite their synthetic origin, therefore, the market is still very far from saturation. Marketing research shows that in Russia you do not run the risk of facing a lot of competition. Even if several thousand entrepreneurial people are engaged in such a business, they will not make much changes in this market segment.

We register home production

We are cultivating at home. It is not planned to create laboratory conditions. This is a simple mini business. Sales will be carried out through souvenir shops, social media groups. You can create your own website. Our products will be bought for gifts as precious souvenirs. For this option, it is enough to register as an individual entrepreneur.

If you are planning to expand your business and open your own laboratory with the aim of further selling artificial rubies to jewelry factories and shops, open a limited liability company.

Promotional activities

The most important step is to find ways to realize crystals. How to establish a sales market?

1. Contact an advertising agency. Specialists will find ways to interest potential buyers.

2. Create and promote a group or page in social. networks. Invite to friends, be active in groups that sell handmade goods. Additionally, you can create your own website.

3. Go for exclusivity. You can try to negotiate with gift shops for the supply of crystals. Distribute flyers in the city center. Tell your friends about your business.

A detailed method for growing crystals at home!

And this is how synthetic diamonds are grown for industrial purposes.

Growing ruby ​​crystals at home is available to everyone. The work does not require an equipped laboratory, obtaining theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of mineralogy, or purchasing special chemical reagents. Everything you need can be found in the kitchen.

Home experimentation

It is advised to start growing rubies with small volumes. First, experience is gained, the whole process is understood, and then direct systematic work begins. Synthetic creation of your own hands will not be inferior in beauty and attractiveness to natural minerals. Gemstones are in demand among jewelers, so a successful experience can bring additional income if you find a sales market.

There are several ways of growing. They advise you to try all the options, then stop at the one you like.

Artificial precious rocks, created by man, do not differ from natural ones in chemical content and physical properties.The advantage of home technology is that it allows you to create perfectly clean breeds. In nature, this happens extremely rarely. The gem quality of laboratory samples is quite good. Another plus of the mineral is its cost. The stones are cheaper than their originals, which originate in deep mines.

Organic salts

It is easy to grow a ruby ​​crystal from various salts:

• copper sulfate;
• potassium alum;
• ordinary salt.

The longest salt-based process, the most beautiful specimens are obtained from vitriol. The production of ruby ​​crystals is based on the following stages:

1. Preparing the container. It should hold salt and a saturated saline solution. Take hot water. The process is gradual. Dilute two tablespoons with water, mix thoroughly. Then add salt and mix. you need to sprinkle until the salt stops dissolving. To comply with the proportions, they take a hint: a table of the solubility of different salts in 100 ml of water, their relationship with the temperature of the liquid.
2. Filtration of the solution. The solution must be clean. Dirt impurities will spoil the structure of the stone. Defects will be visible in it. The solution remains for 24 hours. During this period, crystals form at the bottom of the tank. They will form the basis of the ruby.
3. Artificial mineral growth. A fishing line is tied to the stone formed at the bottom of the glass. It is wrapped around a pencil or wooden stick. The device is installed on the container. The crystal is suspended in solution. Water tends to evaporate, a saturated saline solution releases excess, which is fixed on the resulting sample.
4. Adding salt solution. Water always needs a certain amount, if it becomes too little, the crystal will stop growing. At normal room temperature, water is added every 2 weeks.

To get rubies at home, you will have to wait about 3 months. Then the stone is freed from the saline solution, dried with a soft napkin. The sample is covered with colorless nail polish in several layers.

Advice from experienced crystal makers. The salt solution must be at the same temperature as the water in the container. The crystal grows even at a slightly lower temperature, but high rises in solutions spoil and stop growth.

Apparatus for work at home

To create rubies at home, you need an apparatus named after its creator, Verneuil. The inventor's technique allows to grow a ruby ​​weighing 30 carats in 3 hours. The technology has made it possible to create the precious material in the right amount. Industrial facilities began to actively implement the development of Verneuil. Time has made its own adjustments, and today such a device is easily assembled at home. Components of the device:

Apparatus for work at home

To create rubies at home, you need an apparatus named after its creator, Verneuil. The inventor's technique allows to grow a ruby ​​weighing 30 carats in 3 hours. The technology has made it possible to create the precious material in the right amount. Industrial facilities began to actively implement the development of Verneuil. Time has made its own adjustments, and today such a device is easily assembled at home. Components of the device:

• cathetometer;
• shaking mechanism;
• bunker;
• burner;
• muffle;
• growing crystal;
• crystal holder;
• crystal lowering mechanism.

The device is used for growing not only rubies. Often, blue topaz, emeralds and stones with a translucent transparent structure are created in the device.

Home production process:

1. Powder is poured into the hopper through a funnel. The composition of the powder is Al2O3, the additional component is Cr2O3.
2. The burner supplies the flame to the bottom of the hopper.
3. The powder starts to melt.
4. The layers of molten powder are a growing ruby ​​crystal.

Through the lowering mechanism, the artificial mineral moves downward. Various shades can be obtained in the device.The rate of crystal formation is higher than in the container. It only takes 3 hours to admire the ruby. One sample requires the following component volumes:

• 6 g Al2O3;
• 0.2 g Cr2O.

Untreated crystalline formations are extraordinary in shape. They are originally similar to natural ones, but at the same time they are always unique.

At first glance, working with the device is difficult and painstaking. In fact, a device invented by a French inventor over 100 years ago will not pose any particular problems. It is assembled from parts that practical people have on the farm. Making an apparatus and purchasing powder are the main stages of preparation.

2>Economic calculations

Home technology is always cheaper. You can calculate the cost of all components, costs, and determine the approximate cost of the resulting samples. What is ruby ​​taken into account:

• the cost of parts of the device;
• electricity costs;
• the price for the purchase of powders for the base of the crystal.

Even approximate calculations will show the benefits. The cost of all the components will not be even 500 rubles. For that kind of money, it is difficult to buy a ruby ​​jewelry of a beautiful appearance and excellent quality. The process should not intimidate domestic experimenters with legitimacy. Natural minerals are regulated by the state, synthetic ones are not subject to documents. If a decision is made to open a small production, it should be registered in accordance with the established procedure. The soul will be in place, the work will only bring satisfaction.

> A gem that you create yourself will become a pride. The craftsman will gradually learn to change the shades of rubies. The next step will be to creatively work on the resulting samples, transforming them into interior design items and original decorations.