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Quartzcrystal growth is one of a few intriguing natural processes that has beencopied from Mother Nature and implemented in the laboratory. Industrial growthof commercial quartz crystals for their unique piezoelectric and opticalproperties has produced the necessary components for electronic and opticaldevices for about 70 years already.XSTALSHOP(divisionofR&D XTALS, Inc)has recently adapted thishydrothermal growth process with the aim of creating natural-looking crystalspecimens for mineral collectors, museums, educators, as well asobjectsd?artfor other buyers.
The term"hydrothermal" is used to describe a crystallization method utilizingsuperheated (about 660 F (350 C)), mainly alkaline aqueous solutions at veryhigh pressure,exceeding 10,000 psi (>70 MPa). The crystals are grown in anairtight, thick-walled, steel vessel called an autoclave.We called thatautoclave as "high pressure cooker".Pressure in the autoclaveis built up solely by electrical heating.Crystals begin forming on"seeds", which are broken natural quartz clusters, and/or slices andpieces of natural or grown quartz crystals. Crushed pieces of naturallyabundant milky quartz are the raw vein material for growth.
This process is complex, veryenergy intensive, requires specific controls, and can be dangerous. It cannotand should not be done at home. Researchers from R&D XTALS have nearly 64years of combined experience with hydrothermal growth techniques for quartz andseveral other crystals, and have the requisite educational background ingeology and mineralogy. They also have the necessary patience to constantlymonitor the batches of growing crystals over a long time from a few months to afew years. However, this is just a blink of an eye compared to the eons-long timescale required for some natural crystal growth.
The faces on each crystal arebuilt up, molecular layer by molecular layer, undisturbed, and in fulldarkness. They have not been cut, polished, or touched in any way to enhancetheir beauty after growth. Close inspection may reveal faint traces of the seedinside individual crystals, but all of the external faces are natural shapeswith natural luster. Some crystals or its pieces are hydrothermally etchedafter growth to reveal structural peculiarities and defects, which areimportantfor style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Quartz is a hard mineral andcannot be scratched easily, but it is brittle. Many our specimens are placed ina plastic display caseto prevent dust accumulation and protect againstchipping and breaking.The crystals can be cleaned with warmsoapywaterand air duster indefinitely, and they are insoluble in practicallyall chemicals. Just avoid touching the very sharp edges and points.
These quartz crystals will lastfor a long time to educate you and decorate your mineral display or window at home. Some sensitive people perceive positive energy coming from ourquartz crystals (observed at many mineral shows). They use them for healingthemselves and others; but everyone can find enjoyment and improved mood justby looking at these sparkling crystals and moving them in the light.
You are offerding on oneexquisitespecimen of the lab-grown and hydrothermally etched quartzcrystalplate shown on thepictures.This beautiful crystal was grownon the X-cut seed plate about 2 mm thick. It was cut from large quartzcrystal parallel to the optical axis"c"andperpendicular to the piezoelectric axis"a"markedin red on the as grown crystal picture (shown for example). The seed was planted into an autoclavevertically.
The crystal formed with twopinacoid faces {0001}, six prismatic faces"m", tenrhombohedral faces, and two trapezoid faces.It is right-handed crystal.The growth rate in to"+a"directionis about two times faster than in opposite"-a"direction.
The main faces on the crystal arepositive trigonal prism"+a"andnegative trigonal prism"-a"withdifferent surfacetextures. This crystal was grownoverthree months inhydrothermal conditions then etched in hydrothermal conditions to reveal the dislocation exits via etch pits and etch channels.Shape of etch pits and etch channels are varies significantly dependingof crystal surfaces.Pinacoid faces have triangle etch pits,positive trigonal prism"+a" have spindleshape etch pits,and negative trigonal prisms"-a"have double terminated negative natural crystal shape. Study of etch pits shapes on all other faces with magnifyingglass or under microscope can bring you a magic story. You can find the same etch pits shapes as on natural crystal faces. Material inside is water-clear and can beused for stone cutting, craftsman of decorated windows. Some slightly chipped edges might be available.
Anaveragespecimenmeasures are about 22 cm(L)x 12 cm (W) x 1.3 cm (Th), weighsabout from 690 to 900grams (1.5 to 2 pounds) depends of the seed shape and its dimensions.
Youcan find an additional information about quartz crystals and growth process onthe Wikipedia website with key words: quartz, crystal, single synthesis, seedcrystal,crystal growth, etc.
Thank you for buying ourspecimens. Positive response will be very appreciated.
All photographs copyright ofR&D XTALS, Inc.
© 2005-2024, R&D XTALS, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this material is educational and promotional in nature.
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