483g Bismuth Geode Made in America 8

Description

All Photos taken outdoors in natural sunlight or shade as the weather allows with a Nikon Coolpix L1 Camera

This unique Bismuth Geode Specimen was Hand-made in the U.S.A. Bismuth is an unusual crystal because it is a little-known metal that is even scarcer than silver within the earth’s crust. Each crystal is “lab grown” and forms under the surface in a pool of liquefied 99.9% pure bismuth. The crystals form as the bismuth cools and a rainbow of colors are displayed as the crystal grows and the liquid is poured off. The result is the incredibly rare and breathtakingly gorgeous metal art sculpture that this process produces. Bismuth is one of only a few substances (water being another) that actually expands upon freezing (solidifying). The liquid bismuth expands as it cools. The spiral, stair-stepped structure of bismuth crystals is the result of a higher growth rate on the outside edges and a slower growth rate on the inside edges. The variations in the thickness of the oxide layer that forms on the surface of the crystal causes different colors to be reflected, displaying a breath-taking rainbow of colors.

This geode weighs 17 oz or 1.06 lb. (483g) and measures 3.8” (9.7 cm) in diameter and is 1.48” (3.7 cm) deep