Home >> Science & Nature >> Rocks & Minerals

How to Make Alum Crystals Using a Wick

True quartz crystals are formed from superheated silicon and oxygen, either deep in the ground, or in space. They are called "crystals" because the shape of their molecules is in a geometric pattern, usually a series of square or diamond shapes. These molecules give quartz crystals their stability, hardness and jagged shape. Today, manufactured quartz crystals are used in everything from solar panels to watches. While it is impossible to make true quartz crystals in your home, you can make crystals with the same look, feel and structure. The process is simple and non-toxic, making it an educational experiment both for curious adults and children.

Things You'll Need

Linen candle wick
Alum
Hot water
Glass jar with plastic lid
Hand drill
Spoon

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase alum from your local grocery store. It is a white, powdery substance meant to make food, like pickles, hard or crispy. It will form hard, jagged crystals just like quartz.
- 2
  Heat about a cup of water so it is hot, but not boiling. Pour it into the glass jar and add about a tablespoon of alum powder. Stir until all of the alum has dissolved.
- 3
  Drill a small hole in the center of the jar's lid. Pass the wick through the hole and set the lid on top of the jar. Adjust the wick so the end just barely touches the surface of the water.
- 4
  Tie a knot in the wick on the top of the lid to hold in place. Set the jar in a place where it will not be disturbed. Leave it alone overnight.
- 5
  Examine the jar the next day. A small crystal should be forming on the tip of the wick, along with a few loose crystals at the bottom of the jar. If there is no crystal on the end of the wick, you can tie one of the loose crystals onto it.
- 6
  Scoop out loose crystals that form in the bottom of the jar and discard or place in their own solutions to grow independently. Set the lid and wick back onto the jar, making sure the crystal is touching the water.
- 7
  Check on the jar each day. Crystals should be slowly forming on the end of the wick with some climbing its length. Since the wick will soak up the water, crystals will form all the way up to the lid. Do not shake or move the jar too much; it will inhibit crystal growth.

Rocks & Minerals