Making Bismuth Crystals!

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The first time I saw bismuth I absolutely fell in love with it, the rainbow colours, the geometric patterns, the stair step spirals 😊 Even more exciting, it is easily available and the crystals can be made at home, albeit with care and caution as not to forget, you are working with molten metal!

You will need:

• Bismuth Ingots
• Crucibles/saucepan - that you don’t expect to use again, the smaller the better so the bismuth pool is deeper
• Leather or thick gloves - bismuth has a lower melting temp than other metals, 271.5 degrees Celsius [520F], but you still wouldn’t want it on your skin!
• Stove-top / heat gun
• Fork – or other implement to skim the top contaminant layer off once it starts cooling

Process:

1. We broke up the bismuth to be small enough to fit in our crucible and started to heat it with the heat gun

2. Look for ripples in the liquid to show it is melted, remove from heat and then use a fork to scrape off the top layer that will start forming instantly [the oxide and contaminant rise to the top]

3. The crystals form as it slowly cools and solidifies from its molten state. Crystals form at the top and start to move downward, and should be shaken or poked a little bit to make sure it doesn’t connect with the ones on the bottom.
   The bismuth can also be poured out whilst it is still hot and the crystals will form on the side and bottom of the crucible/pan. If a crystal seed is used the bismuth crystal can just be lifted out [and should have no imperfections due to one side not being attached to the pan/crucible]

4. The crystals will be silver to start with but will change color depending of the temperature of the bismuth when it first makes contact with oxygen!

5. If you don’t like the color or shape of your crystals or think you can do better, they can be re melted down and made again and again, a never-ending bismuth loop 😊

Below are some images of us in the garage, we used a crucible and a heat gun, it was so much fun! Definitely need to order more, to try make bigger pieces. Enjoy!

We used a crucible and a test tube, and poured out onto the mug

Thats more like it! :)

Bismuth fun facts :

• Bismuth is element 83 on the periodic table
• Often confused for lead/ tin until 1753 when Claude Geoffroy the Younger established it as its own element>
• the name Bismuth comes from German words 'Weisse Masse' meaning white mass, then changing to Wisuth and Bisemutum.

Please share any pictures below if you have made any of your own! :)