Grow Crystals

This instructable shows you how to grow your own crystals, using Copper Sulphate.

Step 1 Materials

To produce Copper Sulphate crystals, you need the following:

1) Copper Sulphate in powder form
2) A glass jar
3) A small button
4) Some thin (plastic coated) wire
5) A paper clip
6) A spoon

Comments

[911no]

What can be made with these crystals? can you make jewelry?

[Eirinn]

The crystals are toxic, i suggest you don't ;) they're usualy made in high school chemistry experiments.

[loverbey]

this might have been mentioned at the start!

[Eirinn]

It really should have.

The chemical was once used as a vomit inducing drug. I doubt they're lethal (everything is lethal in large quantities, even water).

[Project 23]

great tut man, definitely trying this and subscribing :))

[turbotonic27]

how many grams of copper sulfate to ml of water ?

[ssukhi]

U just have to make a super saturated solution, much like sugar crystals. When making sugar supersaturated solution, the water turns yellow. I"m not sure about coppersulfate

[solipsil]

I'm wondering, is there a translucent material that can be painted on to "seal" it and prevent its decay? this could make an awesome necklace..

[TruckerDude]

If you are concerned about toxicity in this project, search about.com for growing sugar crystals. They are in fact edible.
Another method (is not edible) use laundry blueing, ammonia, salt and water.

[Thundertydus]

I was told that if I leave it out, it will shrink and fall apart, true?

[DrCoolSanta]

Copper sulfate is beautiful but poisonous, you should not touch or eat it, great instructable but harmful. Use something else instead

[Eirinn]

True, eating this stuff will make you uh...empty your stomach faster than lightning. That's the best case scenario, the worst case scenario is copper sulphate poisoning and depending on the concentration...well you know where i'm going (can get really bad). They're beautiful, just don't eat them, touching should be fine hehe. (just backing the other commenters up).

[DrCoolSanta]

You know, keep away from children and stuff. Just mentioned it is harmful, to be safe on the safe side, otherwise they don't mind having us use it in school experiments and such. Copper Sulfate is one of the most beautiful crystals, a really awesome salt, green flame, nice colour and beutiful crystals.

[Shadowfury]

It is toxic, but only if you ingest the powder or crystal. In solution it is harmful to skin. In short, yes, you can touch the crystals, just not the solution.

[tacamaral]

You can cover the crystal with varnish - common, transparent varnish - and you can touch it. : )

[albaroxxs4life]

where can we buy Cupric Sulfate???

[fallenpiano]

in some home improvement stores they sell it as stump remover or allege killer, I had no luck at lows or homedepot so i just went to ebay and bought 2lbs for $11

[DrCoolSanta]

Sugar and Salt crystals are not so beautiful and also they tell you to not touch it so you don't even have a chance to ingest it.

[AdamK]

For all those with material boundaries:
This can be done with any crystalline powder, including salt (which turns out pretty cool) and sugar (rock candy!!).
Add lots of food colouring for added fun. ;)

[iglo1234]

REALLY is it the same way

[Shadowfury]

Yes. The crystal structure will differ, though.

[Clonebear]

" For all those with material boundaries: This can be done with any crystalline powder, including salt (which turns out pretty cool) and sugar (rock candy!!). Add lots of food colouring for added fun. ;) " Sooo... if i made this with sugar... i could EAT it? without harm? right? just make it the exact same way... with sugar? or salt (For looks. not eating xD)

[Shadowfury]

Yes, you could eat it without harm. Just be sure to use pure sugar (with or without food coloring). Same goes for salt (might not taste too good, though).

[sullidish]

can you touch the crystal after it has formed?

[Shadowfury]

Yes. Cupric Sulfate is not harmful to skin. Just do not ingest the crystals, due to their toxicity.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

that looks cool :-)

[bullpup95]

you can use Alum, found in any grocery store, used in pickling process.

[zimmemic25]

if u dry copper sulphate, it turns white... so can i dry the crystals and get white ones or will they become powder form again?

[iglo1234]

can u chisel them or would they shatter?

[Plasmana]

Beautiful crystals! I am going to make some!

[Gh{O}sT]

are they really THAT vibrant!

[thedog458]

do u need to wear gloves when holding the Crystals

[jespo0o]

not really , coppersulphate solution is toxic if contacted with skin or mouth (you have to be a moron to swallow the stuff :p) but in crystal form it's safe (as long as it is dry)

[Gh{O}sT]

ceeewwwwllllll im making it!

[cipshadow]

How much does it last? Because I know some kind of sulphate crystal which last only half a minute

[miy]

Do you know how to make your own copper sulphate ? the easier way i mean...

[plumbiumpenguin]

Copper sulfate is pretty readily availabe if you live near a stained glass supplies store. It is labeled something like "Copper patina" and, while not being the pure stuff(there is stuff like mineral acid), it should work for this experiment.

[Illuminati]

How much copper sulfate did you use to achieve a crystal of that size? I've got plans now of using a large pickle jar and making one approaching the size of the jar. I also plan on using a few ultrabrite white led's as a base for the crystal formation so that once it's grown i can have a giant glowing crystal suspended in a large jar. It would look very cool.

[thegamist]

can u toutch the crystal when its done???

[jongscx]

If you use fishing wire to hang your seed, you could hang it and it would look like it's floating. Hang it in a clear, cylindrical container or a big pickle jar and use a down-light on it (oooh... you could use color LEDs or a color-changing LED thing) and you have a funky looking lamp. Heck, you could use something with copper in it (too lazy to look up what) and you'd come up with a green crystal. Label it as Kryptonite and put a green LED down-light...