Chrome Alum Crystals

    Newer Older

    This is a photo of chrome alum crystals in a chrome alum solution, at 20x magnification. Taken with my Canon SX110 IS, through a Novex stereo microscope with lighting from underneath. The crystals are grown from a saturated solution and are no more than 1 mm in diameter. Created myself, Paul, from www.paulslab.com

    basterdette, Adii Adi, puremystery, overseastom, and 18 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    1. DrNick3 14 months ago | reply

      Very nice.

    2. Scott Schreiber Jewelry Design 11 months ago | reply

      I use to grow alum crystals in my mom's pantry when I was a kid.....just the regular colorless variety. My goal was to grow the largest single crystal I could. I t wasn't easy...as *volunteers" would continually self generate on the upper faces. The biggest one I grew was the size of a billiard ball. Chrome alum crystals are red, right?

    3. Paul's Lab 10 months ago | reply

      Pure chrome alum crystals are a very dark purple, almost black. When they are small light can still easily pass them, so they show a light purple color (as in this photo). When a solution of chrome alum, combined with normal alum, crystallizes, it can form light pink crystals. The color then depends on the ratio of both chemicals.

    4. Scott Schreiber Jewelry Design 10 months ago | reply

      ah....thank you for that bit of information, Paul.

    keyboard shortcuts: ← previous photo → next photo L view in light box F favorite < scroll film strip left > scroll film strip right ? show all shortcuts