We make a crystal from salt at home without special reagents. How to grow salt crystals


They are widely used in modern costume jewelry, organization of holidays and have significant advantages over natural stones. They are durable, attractive appearance, lower cost. How can you start growing a crystal and how profitable is it?

According to Russian law it does not require permits and licenses. Their production is minimally costly. The popularity of these products is constantly growing, as they are affordable for mass buyers, unlike natural stones.

These crystals are ideal for decorative purposes: New Year's creation Christmas decorations, snowflakes, decorations instead of rain. They can decorate holiday costumes. There is a real opportunity to set the shape of the future crystal product.

Business profitability calculations

About 21 rubles will cost the necessary raw materials to create a crystal ruby-like: aluminum oxide - 7 g, chromium oxide - 0.3 g. 3 kW / h will be spent to heat water for 1.5 hours. It costs about 5 rubles.

In total, the cost of producing one crystal is 26 rubles. As a result, you can get a highly profitable production of crystals by selling these artificial gems for much more than their cost.

Growing crystals in, requires a lot of patience and a lot of time. But it all pays off with decent income.

How to grow a beautiful artificial crystal

The raw material for the finished product is common table salt, blue vitriol, borax and other substances.


Technology (method) of manufacturing a crystal

  1. It is necessary to create a very saturated salt solution in a glass jar so that the crystals of the substance stop dissolving.
  2. Slightly warm until the salt is completely dissolved by placing the jar of salt solution in a container of warm water.
  3. Pour the solution into another jar. Put a jumper across its neck, attaching a ready-made small crystal of salt to it on a thread. A new artificial crystal will grow on it in three days.
  4. To get the desired crystal shape, you need to tie a blank in the form of a snowflake or other product on a pencil and lower it into the solution. The mold should hang freely without touching the bottom.
  5. This vessel must not be shaken, turned, lifted. It must be in a warm place.
  6. When the crystal reaches the desired size, it should be taken out, carefully dried using a paper towel or soft cloth.
  7. Then the thread is cut off, and the crystals are covered with a colorless varnish.

To make crystals more High Quality similar to real ones, you need to use a seed that is placed in a solution (aluminum or potassium chromium alum).

The nuances of growing crystals

Artificial stones can be of different colors:

1. From table salt, sugar, a colorless crystal will turn out.

2. The best way to get crystals is to use copper sulfate to get bright blue crystals that look like turquoise.

This substance is easy to purchase at any store for gardeners and gardeners.. It is used to control pests of plants, and is very cheap.

3. When using potassium chromium alum, amazing purple crystals are obtained, similar to amethyst.

To create an artificial gem that professional jewelers may be interested in, you should purchase necessary equipment(set for growing crystals). In this way, artificial gems up to 400 carats can be produced.

With a creative approach, growing crystals can be an interesting business, for which you will receive a considerable income.


An unusual experiment on growing crystals from salt can be done with children. This process is completely safe, as only salt and water is used and no additional reagents are required. Making such a craft with your own hands is quite simple, but you need to consider a few rules.

1 How to grow a crystal from salt - preparing the tool and material

Before you start making crafts, prepare necessary tools and determine the location for the container. The maturation process of the product will take some time, while the dishes cannot be moved and tilted.

  • The main component for the formation of a crystal is salt. To get a smooth and transparent surface on the craft, use sea salt. It does not have impurities and small debris, like table salt.
  • Crystal formation will occur in water. It should also be well cleaned of impurities. It is best to pour distilled water or boil the liquid and filter.
  • The utensils for the experiment should not be metal. Since it can oxidize due to the action of saline. The volume of the growing dish does not matter and is only limited by the size of the desired crystal.
  • Keep the container free of debris and debris. They will prevent the growth of salt on the main crystal. Therefore, before the experiment, the dishes should be thoroughly washed and dried.
  • As a base, you can use a thread, fluffy wire, dried twigs or a large piece of salt.
  • In addition, you will need: a wooden spoon for stirring, a piece of gauze or a bandage, paper towels, colorless nail polish, a saucepan and a pencil.

2 How to grow a salt crystal with many facets

The initial stage of the experiment involves boiling the liquid. Therefore, help the children warm the liquid so that they do not burn themselves.

  • Prepare 120 ml. purified or distilled water. Pour it into a saucepan, put on the stove and bring to a boil.

  • Decide on the type of salt to form the crystal. So, with the help of ordinary table salt, the craft is formed within a few days, sea salt forms a crystal in 1-2 days, and with iodized salt, you will have to wait a very long time for the growth of the product.

  • Prepare a saturated salt solution. You can understand its readiness by grains that could not dissolve in water. To do this, add salt to warm water and stir the solution thoroughly. First, add half a glass of salt. If the water is clear without grains, then add another quarter cup.

  • Pour the solution into a dry and clean container. Make sure that the sediment stays in the pot, otherwise it will fall to the bottom of the jar, and will reduce the growth of the main crystal.

  • On the this stage you can add a dye to change the color of the crystal. But do not add too much of it, as in large volumes the tool will make the craft brittle.

  • Prepare the thread for the warp. It is desirable that it be thick with a rough surface. Tie it to a pencil or a long skewer. Their size should be larger than the diameter of the container for growing a crystal and with edges for stability.

  • Measure the desired length of thread and cut it. Do not let it touch the bottom of the container.

  • Position the pencil on top of the container. Make sure that the thread does not stick to the walls of the jar.

  • Place the brine container on a flat surface. If you want to grow a crystal with large branches, then keep the liquid with the thread in a warm place. To form a crystal with smooth surfaces, put the container in the cold.

  • Now you just have to watch the growth of the crystal.

3 How to grow one big crystal from salt

To get a large crystal with smooth edges after the experiment, it is necessary to use a slightly different technology.

  • Prepare a concentrated salt solution as in the previous paragraph. Pour it into a container. But for this growing method, choose a flat and wide container. So a large crystal will not be able to connect with the rest, smaller parts.

  • Leave the container with the solution for 2 days for the formation of small crystals. Then pour out the water and choose the most suitable piece for growing.

  • Tie a small crystal to the fishing line. In this case, it is necessary to use a smooth thread or thin wire (fishing line) so that salt grains cannot be fixed on it.

  • Prepare a saturated salt solution again. But this time, do not bring the water to a boil, but only warm it to room temperature.

  • Lower the crystal on the fishing line into the prepared container and pour the saline solution in a thin stream. Secure the fishing line to the surface of the container with a pencil. In this case, the crystal should be located in the center of the container.

  • Growing a crystal in this way will take much longer than the previous option. Therefore, every two weeks, prepare a new salt solution and be sure to filter it before pouring it into the container.
  • When the crystals have grown to the desired size, remove them from the liquid, dry them and be sure to cover them with a thick layer of colorless nail polish. It will not allow water to evaporate, which will make the craft more durable for a long period.

It is very easy and safe to conduct an experiment on growing a crystal from salt at home. But to get desired effect strictly follow the rules specified in the article and do not forget about the finishing of the product.

Do you like to conduct scientific experiments and want to involve your children in this? Most The best way for this - try to grow a crystal together from ordinary salt, which everyone in the house probably has.

Safety regulations

The experiment is based on the chemical reaction of a saturated salt solution. Both cooking and sea are used almost every day in everyday life, it will not harm you. But still try to work with gloves and a scarf. This will prevent the ingress of foreign objects into the liquid - dust, hair.

If you have unhealed wounds or burrs on your hands, you need to be very careful, as the solution can corrode the skin in damaged areas and cause acute pain.

In order to grow such a crystal at home, you do not need any laboratory equipment. Everything you need is at your fingertips.

Regular salt crystals should have even, large faces

Do not add natural or artificial colors. This makes no sense: the salt crystal will still grow colorless.

How to grow a crystal

So, water and salt will act as reagents in the experiment, and the equipment will be:


Note! Jars or glasses must be absolutely clean. Any mote on their inner surface can become the basis for the growth of additional crystals that interfere with the main one.

Solution preparation


The germ of a crystal of sea or common salt

Prepare the embryos on which the crystals will grow. They should be large so that you can easily attach them to a thread.

The easiest way to make a selection is as follows: pour salt into the salt shaker and shake until all the small crystals fall out. Those that did not go through the holes of the salt shaker and remained inside are great for our purpose. Choose the largest of them, with a shape close to a rectangle, with a minimum of deviations.

Try to choose the largest and evenest crystals as the embryo of the future crystal

Fix the selected embryo on a thread, and, in turn, wind it on a stick or pencil so that over time it will be easy to adjust the immersion depth.

Growth

The main and longest phase of the experiment begins. In a saturated solution poured into a second jar, immerse the embryos, wrap the container with something warm so that the liquid cools more slowly.

If the solution was sufficiently saturated and clean, the embryos will increase slightly in a day. Otherwise, they will dissolve.

Now cover the top of the jar with paper to avoid dirt and dust, and leave for 3-4 days. Water will gradually evaporate, and salt will precipitate, growing on the embryo and ensuring the growth of crystals.

It is at this stage that mistakes made in the preparation process may appear. For example, you could incorrectly fasten a loop of thread to a crystal, and it will simply grow into the middle. To avoid this, fasten the embryo not in a knot, but in a thread loop, both ends of which are brought out. After the growth process is over, pull the ends of the loop one by one to loosen the clamp, and remove the thread.

You can set any shape to the crystal during the growth period

If you want to grow a crystal quickly, take it out of the container after a few days. Over time, it should already increase in size. Prepare a new saturated salt solution and lower the crystal there again. Some experts advise simply adding the required amount of salt to the jar and mix thoroughly.

How to make a crystal at home (video)

As you can see, growing a crystal is not that difficult. The main thing is to adhere to the technology and follow the recommendations. Although this process is not a quick one, in the end you will get beautiful souvenirs that can be used as decoration or a gift. Tell us in the comments about your experience and what difficulties you faced. Good luck!

Growing crystals at home is a very long, laborious and painstaking process, but it is very exciting and definitely worth the time spent. This experience is very popular with children, and most of the methods below are completely safe. So, consider the main ways to grow crystals at home.

How to grow a crystal from sugar at home

It is best to start your experiments on growing crystals at home with the most interesting and enjoyable ones. The easiest way to grow a crystal is from sugar, and if you do this experiment with children, they will be able to taste the fruits of their creativity at the end of the process.

In order to grow a crystal from sugar, we will need:

  • 2 glasses of water;
  • 5 glasses of granulated sugar;
  • wooden skewers;
  • paper;
  • small saucepan;
  • several clear glasses.

The process of making a crystal begins with the manufacture of sugar syrup. To do this, take 1/4 cup of water and two tablespoons of sugar. Mix, bring on fire until syrup is obtained. Dip a wooden skewer into the syrup and sprinkle with a little sugar. The more evenly the skewer is sprinkled, the more ideal and beautiful the crystal will come out. In a similar way, we make the required number of blanks and leave them to dry completely, for example, overnight.

Some time has passed, our skewers have dried out and now we can move on to the next part of the experience. Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan and pour 2.5 cups of sugar. On low heat, stirring constantly, turn our mixture into a sugar syrup. Stirring must be carried out carefully, until the sugar is completely dissolved! Add the remaining 2.5 cups of sugar and also, until completely dissolved, cook the syrup. After that, leave the syrup to cool slightly, this will take approximately 15-20 minutes. This time we continue to prepare blanks from skewers, the basis for our future crystal. We cut paper circles a little larger than the diameter of our glasses and pierce the resulting circles with chopsticks. The main thing is that the paper is firmly fixed on the skewer. The paper will act as the holder and lid for the glass.

Pour the cooled, but still hot syrup into glasses. At this stage, a little food coloring can be added to the syrup, then the crystal will eventually turn out to be colored. We lower our blank (a stick with a circle of paper) into the glass and leave it alone until the crystal ripens. It is important not to touch the walls and bottom! Well, we do the same with all the remaining blanks.

It will take about a week to grow a crystal. This is a very interesting and exciting process that children really like. Every day the crystal grows and takes on its individual shape. Some crystals grow faster, some slower, but the bulk matures in exactly 7 days. The resulting sugar crystal is very good to use with the whole family at a home tea party or just nibble in moments of blues! So, entertaining chemistry is not only interesting, but also tasty;).

How to grow a crystal from salt at home

Growing a crystal from salt at home is a fairly simple process, but it requires patience and care. However, the result of the experiment exceeds all expectations. We will need:

  • pure water;
  • pot;
  • 2 glass jars;
  • salt;
  • strong thread.

We heat water in a saucepan, we heat it very much, and do not bring it to a boil, the experiment will not work in boiling water. After heating the water, we gradually begin to pour salt into it, stirring constantly until the portion of salt is completely dissolved. Then add more salt, stir until dissolved. And so on until the salt ceases to dissolve. Pour the resulting saturated saline solution into a jar and let it stand well for a day. The next day we will see a lot of small crystals of settled salt in the jar. We choose the most beautiful and largest of them, carefully take it out and tie it to a thread. Carefully pour the solution into an empty jar, making sure that the settled crystals do not fall into a new vessel. Then we lower the crystal on a thread into a filtered saline solution and stock up on patience. After 2-3 days you will notice an increase in the crystal, this growth will continue for some time until the end of growth. After you notice that the crystal has stopped growing, you can either end the experiment if you are satisfied with the result, or prepare another saturated saline solution, as we did above, and lower our crystal there. By the way, if you often change the salt solution, then the growth of the crystal will be faster.

It is very important not to cool the solution on purpose and not to shake it, in this case crystals of an imperfect shape are obtained. Also, do not add any dyes, the crystal will not be colored, and the experiment will be ruined.

How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home

Growing crystals from copper sulphate at home is already the next level of complexity, which requires compliance with safety requirements and can only be performed by children under adult supervision.

For the experiment we need:

  • water, preferably distilled;
  • glass jar;
  • copper salt (copper sulfate or copper sulfate, which can be bought at a gardening store).

Before buying, be sure to consider the substance, it should be a bright blue homogeneous powder. In the presence of lumps and green blotches, it is better to refuse the purchase. It will go to summer residents on the farm, but we, novice chemists, will not.

So, the correct vitriol is purchased. Pour about 100 grams of powder into a glass jar and pour a little hot water, stirring constantly. We must get a saturated solution in which the copper salt can no longer dissolve. Filter the solution and put it in the refrigerator. The next day at the bottom we will find many crystals. We select a couple of the largest and most beautiful and place them in a container with a filtered solution. Before that, we act with crystals in the same way as in the previous experiment with table salt, namely, we fix it on a thread and lower it into a jar. We cover the vessel with thin paper and stock up on patience. Growing a crystal from copper sulfate takes several weeks. After the formation of the crystal is completed, it must be carefully removed, rinsed with cold running water and coated with colorless nail polish.

Ordinary table salt can be turned into an interesting art object, the process of creating which will be exciting for children and adults. Not to be missed unique opportunity, without leaving home, watch one of natural phenomena- the formation of crystals.

Required fixtures and materials

We carefully prepare everything you need to grow a crystal from salt. Everyone in the house will always have everything you need for this work. It has been noticed that a larger crystal grows in a larger capacity, but in this case a lot of salt will be needed:

  • We take coarse and clean salt. Impurities in it are not permissible, as they will prevent the formation of crystals of the correct shape. You can use sea salt, despite the complex chemical composition.
  • It is better to use filtered or distilled water.
  • 2 containers: made of glass to observe the process and to heat water on fire.
  • Stick (pencil, ruler, etc.).
  • Thread or thin copper wire.
  • Funnel.
  • Filter paper (gauze, cotton wool) is used to filter the solution.
  • Napkins.


Growing preparation

The higher the temperature, the more the substance dissolves in water. A seed is added to the resulting supersaturated solution, and upon cooling, the molecules adhere to it. Growth begins, depending on how much of the substance dissolved at high temperature and how much “precipitated” when it was lowered, for example: 2 g of sodium chloride compared to 50 g of copper sulfate.

Unlike other substances, the solubility of table salt is very high; when cooled, the sticking of the substance is minimal, but over time, more and more molecules are added and salt objects increase in size.

The instruction on how to make crystals from salt is quite simple and does not present any difficulty. We bring the water to 80-90 oC, remove from the stove. Gradually add salt (38 g per 100 g of water), constantly stirring, until it begins to dissolve more.

It turns out a supersaturated solution, the salt from which will easily crystallize when it is cooled. Lowering the temperature slowly gives the best result.

We place filter paper in the funnel and pour the contents into a glass container after 30-60 minutes. As a result, we remove all small crystals that can interfere with the main process, and get rid of impurities.

We make a notch on a stick for a more stable fixation. We tie one end of the thread (wire) to the notch. At the other end, we tie a knot or hang any small object on which the molecules will build up.

We lower the thread into the middle of the container. From the wire, you can make complex shapes that will become overgrown with crystals. In the photo of salt crystals, you can see a variety of different shapes, depending on the matrix seed.

crystallization process

We cover the top of the jar with a napkin: no foreign impurities should get into the water solution. We place it in a permanent place without temperature fluctuations and try not to move or shake it. Maintaining the same level in the liquid, periodically carefully add a saturated solution of sodium chloride.

Visible shifts are soon observed and after a month a small polycrystal can be seen. The longer it is in solution, the larger it becomes.

At the air-water interface, crystallization occurs more intensively. Variations in the movement of such a seed makes it possible to obtain salt "products" fairly quickly.

And how to make a single crystal from salt? Is it possible to? Experts say that a crystal close to the natural rectangular shape can be obtained quite simply.

In a package of table salt, we select a large crystal and put it on the bottom of the prepared saline solution. Sea salt, as a larger one, is even more suitable for these purposes. To speed up the process, it is transferred to a new saturated solution after a few days. They follow the shape and periodically scrape off excess sticking, trying to keep the shape.

You can see a single crystal much faster: individual crumb crystals appear at the border of air and water in a jar. Transparent, regular shape, they are clearly visible under a magnifying glass.

Coloring and storage

The resulting crystals are dried and coated with a colorless varnish for better preservation. Paint them with different color varnishes.

They will look aesthetically pleasing on a special podium, while being protected from destruction. No dyes are added to the saline solution, as they can only interfere with crystal formation.

The question is often asked: "Is it possible to get a crystal from salt in 1 day?". We hope that the above has already been answered. However, experiment, try, but remember how much time nature spends on growing its miracle!

Photo of salt crystals


Our little new friend Genie promised to show and teach how to grow crystals at home. Young archaeologists share their impressions and experience with us.

What are crystals?

Crystals are solids that have a natural external shape of regular symmetrical polyhedra based on their internal structure. The first studies of crystals belong to early XVII century.

They grow and “reproduce” on their own, which is why they can rightfully be called “alive”. For the "nutrition" of most crystals, water is required as their main ingredient.

How to grow fluffy crystal

fluffy crystal — amazing and very fragile. On its basis, modern "chemically grown trees" are based. We ! And today we have completely grown such a tree ourselves.

To grow a fluffy crystal, we needed:

  • polyvinyl alcohol
  • Hot water
  • Urea
  • Dye
  • Liquid soap
  • Filter paper
  • Petri dish or saucer
  • Scoop
  • glass vessel
  • Beaker

As with creating a fascinating one, you first need to dissolve 5 g of polyvinyl alcohol in 100 ml of hot water in a glass jar in a water bath.

And now the creative process: we create a "tree" from filter paper. To do this, cut out a rectangle from a circle and make a cylinder out of it, fastening it with a stapler. After that, we cut one edge into “petals” and slightly bend them to the side.

The progress of the experiment on growing a fluffy crystal

Prepare a saturated solution of carbamide. To do this, pour 15 g of urea and a few grains of dye into a glass.

After mixing, add 15 ml of hot water.

After thoroughly mixing the solution again, add 2 ml of the prepared polyvinyl alcohol solution to the glass. For more intensive crystal growth, it is recommended to add a couple of drops of liquid soap.

Now pour the solution into a Petri dish, in the center of which we place the prepared base for the crystals - the “tree”. And ... we observe and wonder!

The first crystals appeared after 20 minutes:

This is what they looked like an hour later:

A day later:

Crystals grow intensively and quickly, but they are very fragile. But to be honest, this property is very captivating for children. Because when I allowed them to do whatever they wanted with the trees, at the end of the experiment, they “broke” fluffy crystals with great pleasure and for quite a long time, examined them, carefully studied them, touched them ...

How to grow a polycrystal

polycrystal is a crystal consisting of many differently oriented small single crystals. Because of their irregular shape, they are often referred to as crystallites.

To grow a polycrystal at home, you need to acquire the following:

  • Dye
  • Ammonium monophosphate
  • Hot water
  • Wand
  • Thread
  • measuring spoon
  • Beaker

Conducting an experiment on growing polycrystals at home

We prepare a saturated solution of ammonium monophosphate. To do this, pour the substance into a measuring cup up to the 100 ml mark, add the dye and pour 150 ml of hot water. Stir the solution thoroughly for a couple of minutes.

Now we tie a thread to the stick and lower its end into the resulting solution for 2-3 minutes to a depth of about 5 cm. After that, we take out the thread and leave it to dry for 10-15 minutes. This starts the mechanism of formation of crystal growth centers on the thread.

We lower the thread into the solution again and observe. Intensive growth of crystals begins in an hour:

The longer the crystal remains in solution, the larger it becomes.

We have seen an interesting picture. In addition to the thread, we left a stirring stick in the glass with the solution, and no less beautiful polycrystals grew on it, which very quickly turned into “ice cream on a stick” and captivated my son for a long time.

Polycrystals grow very beautiful. They are interesting to look at in the light. The light refracts from the edges and gives out a small rainbow...

How to grow a single crystal

Monocrystal- a separate homogeneous crystal having a continuous crystal lattice. Growing a single crystal at home requires much more time, and here are the ingredients and materials:

  • Potassium alum
  • Hot water
  • Dye if desired
  • measuring spoon
  • Filter paper
  • Beaker
  • Stir stick

First you need to prepare the "seed". For her, we prepare a solution of 3 tablespoons of potassium alum and 50 ml of hot water.

Now we pass the solution through the filter, folding it in the form of a funnel. Filtering takes a long time. When my son wanted to speed it up by stirring with a stick, the paper tore and I had to do it all over again. So, it's better not to rush.

The filtered solution, covered with paper, should be left for 10-15 hours. During this time, potassium alum crystals form at the bottom of the glass, which will serve as a “seed”.

After draining the saturated solution into an empty glass, select the largest crystal and tie it to the tip of the thread. Tie the other end of the thread to a stick.

We again prepare a solution of potassium alum and hot water, this time using the ratio: 9 tablespoons of the substance and 150 ml of water. If desired, a dye can be added to the still dry substance.

When the solution has cooled, we filter it and lower the thread with the “seed”. We cover the glass with paper and be patient: the crystal grows for a long time - 3-4 weeks.

Unfortunately, we failed to grow a single crystal. Apparently we were in too much of a hurry and we ended up with several growth centers. Thus, we have grown another polycrystal...

To conduct all these exciting experiments on growing crystals at home, we used only one set of chemistry experiments for children from "" - Secrets of crystals .

Several days of experiments flew by quickly and excitingly. My son hurried every morning to see how much his crystals had grown.

We also had experience growing crystals from salt. It turned out a beautiful polycrystal white color... Have you grown crystals at home? Share your experience and impressions!

PS: You can buy these and other sets of the SuperProfessor series here.

I wish you an exciting summer!

Warmly

Alexey, Arseniy and Lyudmila Potsepun.

Many interesting processes take place in nature. One of them is the creation of rock crystals. But this wonderful process, shrouded in mystery, can be reproduced at home, observing how beautiful minerals gradually grow from substances familiar to us.

The safest ingredient is sugar. It’s worth starting with it, especially since such crystals are not only beautiful, but also edible. You need to take:
  • 2 glasses of water;
  • 3 cups more sugar
  • sticks;
  • paper or clothespins;
  • capacity;
  • glasses;
  • food coloring.

Syrup is boiled from 1/4 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Then sticks are dipped into it and rolled in a small amount of sugar poured on a napkin. When they are completely dry, take a container, pour 2 cups of water into it and pour half the amount of sugar. We reduce the fire to a minimum, place the container on the stove, and stirring, wait for the dissolution of all the sugar. Add the rest of the sand and dissolve it. Turn off the burner and let the solution stand for about 20 minutes. Pour hot syrup into glasses and add food coloring to each. We put holders on the sticks. When we dip these sticks into the hot syrup, the limiter will prevent contact with the walls and bottom of the dish. In about 7 days, a miracle will happen.

Another available ingredient is NaCl - edible salt. Getting Started:
  • Pour warm water into a glass - 200 ml.
  • Add salt in portions, stirring all the time. We do this until the salt crystals cease to dissolve. It will take approximately 70 g. It is important that the salt is clean, otherwise the experiment may end in a negative result.
  • We take a container with water, put on fire. We place a glass there, and let it stay there until the solution in it is heated. Do not forget to put a rag or some kind of stand on the bottom of the container, otherwise the glass will crack.
  • We prepare a simple device, consisting of a pencil with a thread tied to it, at the end of which the largest crystal of salt is fixed. If instead of a crystal we tie a pebble or a figurine made of copper wire, then at the end we will get a very beautiful sample.
  • We take out the glass, pass the solution through filter paper. We lay the device on the edges of the glass. A thread with a crystal will sink into a saturated solution. Set aside a dark place for dishes.
  • We observe how the crystal grows. When you decide that it has grown enough, take it out and dry it, varnish it. Handle it with care - it is very fragile.
Very beautiful blue crystals grow from blue vitriol. This material is not as safe as sugar or salt, so wear gloves. The technology is almost the same:
  • We take a glass jar and pour water - 300 ml.
  • We gradually introduce copper sulfate until the solution is supersaturated.
  • We put a pot of water on the stove, put a jar in it and heat it.
  • We hang a bead or a button on a thread. Tie to a wooden stick.
  • We take out the jar, let the solution cool.
  • We place a stick with a thread across the hole in the jar. We make sure that the load does not touch the bottom and walls of the vessel.
  • We wait until the crystal grows, then we take it out.
  • We apply the coating using colorless nail polish.
Good crystals grow from potassium alum (alunite). Buy them at the pharmacy. Then:
  • dissolved in hot water;
  • filter;
  • put in a quiet place, temperature - room temperature;
  • crystals appear after a few days at the bottom of the dish;
  • choose the best ones, transfer them to another dish and fill them with an old filtered solution;
  • repeat this operation in 2-3 days until minerals of the desired size are obtained;
  • taken out, blotted with a napkin and varnished.


In stores that sell toys, sometimes there are kits with materials for growing crystals. They contain aluminum and potassium sulfates, as well as ammonium phosphate and dyes.

To sum it up: growing crystals is a creative, exciting process. If you do this with a child, then who knows, maybe a famous explorer will grow out of him?

Ordinary table salt can be turned into an interesting art object, the process of creating which will be exciting for children and adults. Do not miss the unique opportunity, without leaving your home, to observe one of the natural phenomena - the formation of crystals.

Required fixtures and materials

We carefully prepare everything you need to grow a crystal from salt. Everyone in the house will always have everything you need for this work. It has been noticed that a larger crystal grows in a larger capacity, but in this case a lot of salt will be needed:

  • We take coarse and clean salt. Impurities in it are not permissible, as they will prevent the formation of crystals of the correct shape. You can use sea salt, despite the complex chemical composition.
  • It is better to use filtered or distilled water.
  • 2 containers: made of glass to observe the process and to heat water on fire.
  • Stick (pencil, ruler, etc.).
  • Thread or thin copper wire.
  • Funnel.
  • Filter paper (gauze, cotton wool) is used to filter the solution.
  • Napkins.


Growing preparation

The higher the temperature, the more the substance dissolves in water. A seed is added to the resulting supersaturated solution, and upon cooling, the molecules adhere to it. Growth begins, depending on how much of the substance dissolved at high temperature and how much “precipitated” when it was lowered, for example: 2 g of sodium chloride compared to 50 g of copper sulfate.

Unlike other substances, the solubility of table salt is very high; when cooled, the sticking of the substance is minimal, but over time, more and more molecules are added and salt objects increase in size.

The instruction on how to make crystals from salt is quite simple and does not present any difficulty. We bring the water to 80-90 oC, remove from the stove. Gradually add salt (38 g per 100 g of water), constantly stirring, until it begins to dissolve more.


It turns out a supersaturated solution, the salt from which will easily crystallize when it is cooled. Lowering the temperature slowly gives the best result.

We place filter paper in the funnel and pour the contents into a glass container after 30-60 minutes. As a result, we remove all small crystals that can interfere with the main process, and get rid of impurities.

We make a notch on a stick for a more stable fixation. We tie one end of the thread (wire) to the notch. At the other end, we tie a knot or hang any small object on which the molecules will build up.

We lower the thread into the middle of the container. From the wire, you can make complex shapes that will become overgrown with crystals. In the photo of salt crystals, you can see a variety of different shapes, depending on the matrix seed.

crystallization process

We cover the top of the jar with a napkin: no foreign impurities should get into the water solution. We place it in a permanent place without temperature fluctuations and try not to move or shake it. Maintaining the same level in the liquid, periodically carefully add a saturated solution of sodium chloride.


Visible shifts are soon observed and after a month a small polycrystal can be seen. The longer it is in solution, the larger it becomes.

At the air-water interface, crystallization occurs more intensively. Variations in the movement of such a seed makes it possible to obtain salt "products" fairly quickly.

And how to make a single crystal from salt? Is it possible to? Experts say that a crystal close to the natural rectangular shape can be obtained quite simply.

In a package of table salt, we select a large crystal and put it on the bottom of the prepared saline solution. Sea salt, as a larger one, is even more suitable for these purposes. To speed up the process, it is transferred to a new saturated solution after a few days. They follow the shape and periodically scrape off excess sticking, trying to keep the shape.

You can see a single crystal much faster: individual crumb crystals appear at the border of air and water in a jar. Transparent, regular shape, they are clearly visible under a magnifying glass.

Coloring and storage

The resulting crystals are dried and coated with a colorless varnish for better preservation. Paint them with different color varnishes.


They will look aesthetically pleasing on a special podium, while being protected from destruction. No dyes are added to the saline solution, as they can only interfere with crystal formation.

The question is often asked: "Is it possible to get a crystal from salt in 1 day?". We hope that the above has already been answered. However, experiment, try, but remember how much time nature spends on growing its miracle!

Photo of salt crystals