Worlds largest crystals

[HomerSapien]

Crystals

Nothing really special, they just look really cool from the two pictures. Over 20 ft. long. Wow.

 

[Locutus of Board]

And I thought 6.5 inches was impressive.

For an irish guy. I guess so.

 

[Killbat]

That looks unearthly. :Q

 

[bobtist]

I want one...

Pretty cool.

 

[006agent]

holy crap..put that on a necklace.

 

[prodigy]

Cool!

 

[ArkAoss]

drill out the base, put in a light or make em into lasers.. if they lase

 

[loup garou]

Wow. Now that is cool. :Q

 

[HomerSapien]

006Agent: Its more like attach your self to the crystal.

 

[SSP]

Damn! :Q

 

[TonyG]

ArkAoss, can you imagine how strong of a laser you could make with one of them things, that would be very sweet.

 

[Russ]

Damned cool. Why don't we have more posts like this around here instead of the usual worthless drivel?

Russ, NCNE

 

[urbantechie]

<< holy crap..put that on a necklace. >>



Yea, and snap your girlfriends neck!! :Q:Q

 

[MojoJojo]

I want some.

 

[dennilfloss]

Take it from a geologist , these are not the largest natural crystals known.

Spodumene crystals are known to have reached over 12m long, 12.8m (42') in fact. Beryl, the mineral of which one gem form constitutes emeralds can also reach 8 m long.

Very large crystals, metres long, are usually found in pegmatites, a kind of latest-stage granitic igneous rock characterized by very high fluid content and very slow cooling and unobstructed nucleation, allowing lots of space and time for crystals to grow to large sizes before they start interfering with one another. For example, a feldspar crystal measuring 7m long and weighing 300 tonnes was mined in Madawaska (Quebec, Canada).

I am surprised that the Discovery selenite crystals are still straight because that mineral is very soft (it's just macrocrystalline gypsum, hardness of 2, can be scratched with your fingernail) and its crystals generally tend to curve under their own weight, given time, when they reach a certain length and are unsupported.

For those interested in minerals and wanting to see nice specimens, here is the Mineralogy Database.

Erase The Slate (Dokken)

 

[Missus]

Wow... Where is Superman??

 

SWEEEET !

Nice post

 

[HomerSapien]

Dennis: Thats interesting. Would the temperature of the cave and the depth of it be why they are still standing straight? Does that keep it at an equilibrium? or is it not enough to make a difference.

 

[ArkAoss]

hmm, very intirguing, maybe they are wrong about the content of the crystals, and thats why the arn't &quot;curving&quot;

 

[Adul]

Wow! i would love to see that in person. 100f? Pffft, I been i hotter weather, I live in phoenix afterall. Has for 150f, I won't be going near that temp.

 

[Azraele]

Good Googlimoogli!!!!!!:Q


All I can say is WOW