Experimental Citrine Crystals Grew before our Eyes
Written: Jul 11 '08 (Updated Jul 11 '08)
Product Rating:
Durability:
Pros: End results produced a beautiful cluster of Citrine Crystals.
Cons: No Cons noted... kit does contain chemicals that can be harmful if misused.
The Bottom Line: Ideal for any child with an interest in Science. It proved to be successful resulting in a beautiful cluster of Citrine Crystals she can proudly display in her room.
MississippiMom's Full Review: Space Age Crystal Growing Kit
On the last trip to Canada, my Grandchildren took a tour of the Stones ’N Bones Museum in Sarnia, Canada. Each of my grandchildren have a strong interest in Science, seems it is their favorite subject in school. After viewing the pamphlets of places to go in Sarnia the three of them voted on the Stones ‘N Bones Museum.
That’s all I heard about upon their return, how much they enjoyed seeing the displays of fluorescent minerals, fossils, and gemstones, besides the bones of dinosaurs, shark jaws and artifacts.
As any child they were anxious to visit the gift shop to search for the perfect souvenir to bring home. My Granddaughter selected for herself with her parents approval of course, a Space Age Crystal Growing kit which allows your child to experiment growing a sparkling crystal cluster.
Crystals have been growing inside the earth’s rocky crust for billions of years, when my granddaughter had seen the kit she thought how cool and fascinating it would it be to see how they grow with our own eyes.
The Space Age Crystal Growing Kit is recommended for Children ages 12 and up with adult supervision.
The Kit included 1 bag of Citrine crystal growing chemical, plastic display pedestal, a stirring rod and the instructions.
The Citrine Chemical was sealed in a foil bag with warnings printed on the packaging. The plastic pedestal looks like a tray the microwave meals come in and it measures 4 1/2 inches by 5 inches and the stirring rod is a popsicle stick. Instructions were written in both English and French.
What was not included in the kit and was needed to complete the experiment was a Kitchen Scale or a Measuring Cup, small plastic bucket, a small rock, 2 plastic containers, rubber gloves, plastic wrap, newspaper, magnifying glass and a flashlight.
We read the instructions thoroughly before we allowed her to begin her experiment. First thing she did was get her journal out, as with any experiment she wanted to log the progress and results.
As the instructions directed she had to select a room where the temperature remained constant and where the crystals could grow undisturbed. She selected an area in the family room for her experiment so we could all watch the progress. She had to protect the table by putting down some saran wrap and covering it with newspaper incase any of the chemicals may of spilled the dye in the chemicals could of stained the table or the floor.
It is crucial that you follow the instructions to the T if you want it to be a complete success. There were 6 steps she had to follow.
To start she needed a clear plastic soda bottle cut in half to measure a diameter of 4 inches and at least 4 inches in height. She also had to look for a small rock that would serve as a base inside the plastic bottle. Once she had this ready she was able to begin Step 1 and followed through to Step 4.
The instructions also recommended to place a flashlight behind the growing vessel in order to observe the crystals as they formed. She had noted within 12 hours her crystals started to form, how exciting it was to see by following the steps that her experiment was starting to give her results. Within 48 hours they were getting larger and forming to almost 2 inches in height, by day 7 her crystals had reached 4 inches in height and were at the top of the surface of the fluid and it was time to go to Step 5.
Step 5 she had to pour the solution into another plastic bottle. Kayla then had to use rubber gloves and remove the rock and all of the crystals from the container. Then she had to separate the crystals which grew on the bottom of the container from the rock, place them on a paper towel and let them dry for 2 days.
Step 6 instructed her to use the remaining solution to grow additional crystals by allowing them to partially evaporate over the course of one to three weeks and to remove them before they reached the surface of the bottle. This process took her 18 days to complete.
She now proudly displays her crystals in her bedroom using a small glass fishbowl. The kit included a plastic pedestal. She placed the rock with the formed crystals onto the plastic pedestal and placed it inside of her fishbowl.
This experiment was quite interesting and she had to be very attentive by recording all of her observations from the first time she could see the fine crystals, logged the size and growth rate until they were completely formed and ready to display..
The Space Age Crystal Growing Kit was a success! Kayla’s experimental crystals look very similar to natural crystals. This Kit provided her easy to follow steps, even gave her troubleshooting solutions in case her experiment was not progressing as it should of. Every step went as directed and the end results produced a beautiful cluster of Citrine Crystals .
This kit is ideal for any child with an interest in Science, we will be buying more of the Space Age Crystal series to add to her collection now that we had seen how interesting it was to watch them grow before our eyes.
Knowing this kit was a success I am giving it a 4 star rating, for keeping the entire family interested in the progress, the beautiful cluster it formed and keeping her involved and interested in completing this experiment.
Note to parents: This kit does contain chemicals that can be harmful if misused, it is necessary to read the instructions carefully and supervise each step.
Thanks for Reading!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 15.00 Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens
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