Gary Cavie wrote:
Hi all,

As a youngster I made a crystal garden, using chemicals which I could
easily obtain at the local chemists (Copper Sulphate, Cobalt Chloride
etc). These were dropped into a solution of waterglass.

I've now suggested to my eldest son that we make one of these - and have
realised how hard these things are to come by these days! Can anybody
suggest a supplier of these various chemicals, and the waterglass itself
- Unichem pharmacies don't tend to stock the same stuff that my local
did 30 years ago!

Thanks

Gary


Supermarket sells table salt and washing soda. Chemist sells epsom
salts, and maybe copper sulphate too. And borax. Citric acid too, from
chemists, but you dont want yet another white one.

I dont know whether adding food dye would result in flecks of dye
getting caught in the lattice imperfections. Maybe try putting a little
onto the already grown crystal?


NT