Lab-Grown Bismuth Crystal

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:02 pm

This is a picture of a lab-grown Bismuth crystal. They do not occur naturally in nature but under lab conditions, High-purity bismuth can form into distinctive hopper crystals....and are then sold to hobbyist....explanation here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopper_crystal and more on the element Bismuth; http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele083.html
This peice is around 2.5" wide by 1.5" and it is very metallic, like multicolored chrome

Both pictures are full frame.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:38 pm

Reminds me of that thing in those Clive Barker movies. "What is your pleasure...your suffering will be legendary." (Pinhead)

Beautiful crystal though, great images there Doug and the link to Wiki was interesting too!

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:36 am

Excellent colour capture Doug!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:55 am

Interesting! I've never run into this concept before, and I'm intrigued to read in Wikipedia that it has not been investigated very much.

I was also derailed for a while, thinking that the pattern on the white surface was due to light reflecting off the periodic crystal, sort of like caustics on the bottom of a swimming pool. But on closer study, now I think it's actually a pattern woven into fabric, like a tablecloth maybe. Can you tell me for sure?

Thanks for the post!

--Rik

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:15 am

Boy Rik, you really see the fine detail don`t you

. We sell these at the store and they come in those white jewelry boxes, so when I took the picture, I sat the subject on the flipped over bottom and used the top for the backdrop. You are seeing the embossing on the box. It sure would look like the reflection from those stair step patterns. Take care.

Doug