Silver Cell Harvest EXTRA LARGE CRYSTALS

[@rockbutcher]

Nice batch there Senior Chief! I was once involved with a team shipping really delicate mineral specimens to the Royal Ontario Museum. Really spiny needle shaped growths etc. that were very delicate. What we did was to select a container a bit bigger than the specimen and then pour in powdered laundry detergent to form a base. Then you put the specimen in and pour the detergent all around it. You have to tap the sides of the box to make it settle, but don't push down on the top, compressing it. It has to just work its way around to support the specimen. Then just top it off with enough detergent to completely fill the box so nothing moves if the box is turned on its side and you are good to go.

[@herrhaber9076]

I would never have thought of that without you. Thanks for a very fun fact.

[@mikeforshee8778]

0 poo f

[@DaftFader]

Basically like miniature packing peanuts.

[@rockbutcher]

@@DaftFader Yep, and non-abrasive.

[@jeremyk.6456]

You have to make sure that the mineral that you’re shipping doesn’t degrade based on the specific pH of the detergent or baking soda depending on which side of the pH scale the mineral is on because any moisture could cause chemical reactions that would destroy the specimen if it was opposite on the pH scale (acid or base). It is a good idea and method though to transport the vast majority of delicate minerals/crystals though.

[@Alondro77]

Our groundwater in south Jersey is very acidic, and actually keeps silver highly polished... while being able to totally dissolve copper! I've found 70's pennies tossed into flowing streams that were eaten to thin wafers within a few years, eaten away so evenly that the Lincoln relief and year were still visible. The copper-zinc ones after 1982 are totally destroyed in a mere 6 months. And from the wet sand, I've dug up silver dimes that looked like they just fell there yesterday.

[@boarbot7829]

I assume you mean New Jersey?

[@jaysonstinson9458]

i once found a 1987 quarter in a parking lot

[@kill3rbamb146]

@@jaysonstinson9458 arent those like $500

[@okiedirtdiggersadventures481]

Beautiful chrysalis!!! Awesome video.

[@rhenderson9234]

Have you thought about trying to seal your silver crystals in some of the resins such as flowers and insects are sealed? Just a thought, if it would work it might help others enjoy the beauty of the crystals.

[@herrhaber9076]

It probably is a good idea. A big crystal is worth a lot more than it's weight in metal to collectors. Fun thing is that Mr Sreetips is not even trying to grow big crystals. The day he does well... I'll be here to watch and learn ! :)

[@dirtybayadventures9563]

Good idea

[@khanacknowledge7604]

I also thought about that.

[@apveening]

Glad to know I wasn't the only one thinking about that.

[@sirbatracius]

I thought about some resin if you want to do something permanent. If you want to protect them when shipping, I would use candle wax. Should be easy to remove.

[@1331RECIPROCITY]

I have transported ALOT of merchandise..If you wrap the Silver cell in foam. A little piece of memory foam... cut 5" squares of foam place your art in their wrap it up.. I'd almost guarantee a safe journey... just something for you 2 ponder..?? Your art is one of a kind..

[@tonydalton6756]

Those crystals are just beautiful.

[@Stetsonhatman]

Those are extraordinarily large - I'd like to see them on black cloth. I saw on another channel that lower voltage = lower current made for larger crystals but yours were well beyond that size. Beautiful.

[@RION-LANE]

Yes black background just like the jewelry stores.

[@ricknelson947]

The Timelapse of the silver cementing out is just mesmerizing to watch.

[@heyscotttt1024]

Greatest content on KZbin - would love to hear more about the cost of sourcing when your wife brings stuff back.

[@sreetips]

She paid a tenth of what this was worth. She’s amazing.

[@jeffholmes1362]

Just beautiful. It’s been good to watch the development of the silver cell over the years, work’s brilliantly, always great to watch silver cementing and crystals growing

[@thomaswolf6507]

at 3:20 when you pour the blue off and see all the silver lmao, my jaw was like droppp

[@sreetips]

It’s a beautiful sight.

[@b.c.9358]

I think this is the earliest I've ever gotten to one of your videos. The quality of your work is incredible. Can you ship the crystal in a higher viscosity liquid to protect the silver from inertial forces? Like mineral oil or something thicker. Mineral oil also has a lower freezing temperature than water.

[@donm6578]

Mineral oil Is a good idea

[@kmarasin]

...unless you want to handle the crystal yourself. Good luck cleaning that off without breaking the crystal. Some sort of small but relatively stiff container (such a those little cups restaurants use to put sauces in for take out) together with some lightweight packing material like cotton balls or tissue paper to prevent rattling around should do the job. It's not like fragile things have never been shipped before...

[@herrhaber9076]

I do a bit of refining myself and sometimes had things I wanted to preserve. Long crystals, fat crystals and sometimes even weirder things such as the silver "sheath" (for lack of a better word) that formed around the copper bar I was using in a very concentrated solution.. Only way to keep them in one piece is in a tupperware. Mineral oil is a good idea but now I wonder if some of those polymers that form a gel with water could be of use.

[@xenaguy01]

@@kmarasin _"Good luck cleaning that [mineral oil] off without breaking the crystal."_ Just rinse with any clear solvent. Turpentine, mineral spirits, alcohol (methanol, isopropanol, or ethanol), acetone, ether, chloroform, carbon disulfide, naphtha, benzene, etc. But then, why would you want to handle something so fragile?

[@sledgenwedge]

I have suggested a water-based...KY Jelly, thick easy to rinse, should be chemical neutral and sterile

[@paulknight1879]

Your silver cell is amazing love watching u clean it out and c all the crystals in the bowl. Love your channel all of what u do fantastic job 👏 👍

[@ThorTubeview]

One word ! Wow. Those extra large crystals are just magical are masterpiece of nature. Awesome and enchanting. Thanks to you to expose that. Best Regards, Sylvain

[@silentferret1049]

Sreetips, I would look at the women's water absorbent pads and take the dry gel material out and put into the vial to make a shock absorbent cushion and it absorbs some of the water and is very spongy and soft. Then it will be just rinsing them off after. Only thing you need to do is a bit of a test to see volume of dry to water in the vial cause they will expand so you don't overdo it. Then fill the vial with fresh water (could mix with alcohol to reduce freezing point but I am not sure how the alcohol will affect the silver or gel) insert crystal then add gel and lightly cover, let the gel absorb and add water as needed after and then should be safe for the crystal.

[@herrhaber9076]

It's a great idea not only because it would work (with water, I wonder about alcohol too) and also very cheap. Sodium alginate could also work.

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

Diapers have the same polymer and are cheaper for the amount you get. Great idea!

[@ArielleViking]

These silver crystals were stunning. The electrolyte copper cementing timelapse was fascinating. 👍

[@KiwiKoNZ]

19:51 Pure silver! 🤩👍✨

[@jimwednt1229]

Thank you Sreetips for sharing your refining processes. That silver crystal is more beautiful than the finest .999 silver I've seen .

[@tombrooks3812]

Everytime i see the silvercell im amazed,i have to get some so i can look at it under a microscope or even just a 10x loop. Fantastic process, best videos out there. Thankyou for your time and stay safe. One other thing if these were stored in a vacuum would they still tarnish.

[@herrhaber9076]

What comes out of the silver cell is big enough that you dont need a microscope. Silver cement is interesting though. On second thought... other microscopes than optical could be very interesting to look at. Every single time I watch Sreetips videos I silently thank him for his time. The length and regularity of his videos... I would never have such patience.

[@sreetips]

I don’t know

[@tombrooks3812]

@@sreetips they also have little paper tabs that stop tarnishing they usually have them where ever they sell silver. Fire mountain gems sells them .they are treated with something that retards tarnishing.i dont know what they are called though.

[@silverking8742]

@@tombrooks3812 he has an oz of it for $80 on his ebay store

[@C6R1S]

Could you use glycerin instead of water to store it in for shipping?

[@sreetips]

Possibly

[@RollingRoadEFI]

@@sreetips I was wondering about mineral oil.

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

First thought was that the crystal structure deposited on the stainless bowl is aesthetically pleasing. That said, I wondered if the bowl could be fitted with a light source to create a beautiful lamp or a ferry led light globe. It is difficult to convey impressions of natural art and wealth I've experienced in emporiums at Ouray, Aspen, Vail, Telluride and to a lesser extent Durango and Grand junction, Co. I once experienced a tree knot bowl called a Burl turned epoxied and polyurethaned into a very high value thing to possess and display. Odd how money changes appreciation of what is. Just beautiful. ,✌️♥️👍👍👍 Thank you for sharing. Make it great day.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

I know that if you get the electrolyte (silver nitrate, when fresh) on your skin, paper, or fingernails it will turn to a white spot (silver oxide?). When you expose the spots to bright light, such as walking outside into the daylight, they will turn a brown/black color right in front of your eyes. The skin/nail was destroyed to a shallow depth the moment it reacted with the silver nitrate, but once it turns black, you' have this black spot that will be there until the affected skin/nail is replaced with new dead cells. The point is: Wear gloves, protective clothing, be careful To your idea though, I'm curious if such a light (which would need to be blue/cool-white... This video does not begin to do justice to the crystals he's displaying, because he's using warm-white) would denature some of the silver in solution, or alter how it deposits into the crystalline structures. Crystallography is a fascinating field of study.

[@xenaguy01]

21:00 Is there any reason to not store the crystals in clear mineral oil instead of distilled water?

[@sreetips]

Too sticky

[@xenaguy01]

@@sreetips Rinse with mineral spirits, naphtha, acetone, or alcohol to handle. . . . But then, why would one want to handle something so fragile?

[@hotrod47944]

What if you shipped them in a mineral oil instead of distilled water?? Since mineral oil is much more viscous sand thicker than water it may act as a shock absorber and potentially less breakage??? Just a thought…

[@shaneyearby4438]

Those are some amazing silver pieces. They look like something out of Superman's fortress of solitude.

[@buidelrat132]

For bigger crystals, you could use a slightly lower voltage, very clean electrolyte free from copper, warmth, no vibration, and more time.

[@sreetips]

There’s a professional refiner on the goldrefiningforum.com (Goldsilverpro) who recommends adding some dissolved copper to the electrolyte. He claimed that the copper promotes fat crystal growth. My experience confirms this claim.

[@buidelrat132]

@@sreetips thank you for the correction! Love the time lapse content, keep up the great work.

[@brucewright5061]

I noticed that you formed crystals when you made a small silver cell with a graphite cathode. I think it was due to having a small surface area for the cathode that the crystals formed. Using the stainless steel bowl, you have a very dispersed electricity source and this forms a multitude of small trees, rather than a few large crystals.

[@ryanthacker8698]

Do you have a video showing how to make a silver cell to get crystalized silver?

[@sreetips]

Yes, but it’s old. I’m planning on making a second silver cell from scratch very soon.

[@Antonowskyfly]

You are welcome. Nice to see that a lucky party will be able to display these jewels which, by weight, are far less expensive and far more beautiful than…let’s say, the Mona Lisa painting (which in the end is merely coloured goo smeared on woven fabric…and she ain’t no Christie Brinkley.) A Dali is a different thing altogether though. All silliness aside…to assist with getting an “air bubble-free” encapsulation it may help to submerge the container in a jug and screw the lid on while everything is under water. It may also be helpful to have the distilled water a few degrees below room temperature during the sealing process to provide a slight pressurization after it warms. This “method” seems to be helpful when sealing placers in small 1/2-1oz. display vials. Thank you Sir!👍👍🤟

[@apveening]

I would use water that was a few degrees above room temperature and a properly sealing lid, that will suck the lid solidly closed.

[@rengokuwon1999]

Can you put isopropyl alcohol in the bottle with silver? It wont freeze as easily as water.

[@sreetips]

Possibly

[@billybillo9998]

Those silver cells never disappoint in beauty!

[@SkullerMetals]

Those crystals are stunning!

[@bulwynkl]

have you cnsidered setting them in parafin wax for shipping? then just place in boiled water until the wax melts.. clean with metho or acetone.

[@ZoonCrypticon]

@15:20 this treelike silvercrystal you should conserve in an acrylic cylindrical body.

[@TheWolfster001]

Couldn't you put some cotton in a vile with the silver crystal and distilled water to limit the damage?? Thank you for sharing..

[@ricois3]

Any hypothesis as to what conditions could have caused that? Temperature, vibration?

[@sreetips]

I may have increased silver concentration in the electrolyte by mistake.

[@herrhaber9076]

Absence of vibration and long growth time. Temperature plays a minimal role in the case of silver but water soluble crystals grown in solutions are also bigger the longer it takes for the temperature to drop. To grow really big crystals you can put a hot solution in a styrofoam box and let things cool over 12-24 hours.

[@ricois3]

@@herrhaber9076 Vibration might be the big one here. Could it be that it was when his fume hood was broken? I don't know the exact chronology

[@pipeman65]

Try adding some sheet gelatin to the container that has the crystal and water in it. Let the gelatin dissolve, then set. When your customer gets their package, they can place gelatin encased crystal in warm water to dissolve gelatin, rinse and dry. I think this would protect it well in shipping.

[@lamarkelsaw8923]

Mr. Sreetips, Were you a welder in your past profession? You’re just a JOY to watch!!!! AMAZING GRACE!!!

[@sreetips]

Not by trade, but I can handle an arc welder pretty good.

[@lamarkelsaw8923]

@@sreetips thanks for your response! I’m an African-American who’s been watching you for the last five years if it matters. I’ve gotten my son to watch you smelt that $47,000 bar of gold and he asked me if you taught anywhere or if we could learn this trade. I simply told him that Sreetips is the last of a dying breed, and we will watch you till the end! God bless you, brother!

[@sreetips]

Outstanding, thank you for your interest!

[@andrewbrady3139]

Senior Chief, If you wrote a manual on how you process silver (and where to buy required supplies), I’d buy a copy. AM3

[@waynoswaynos]

Adding Seed Crystals in with the new electrolyte makes instant crystals in my Tin electro win cell so I expect it may work here. Adding 0.01g/l gelatin and a sulphone makes a more compact build up without the long crystal growth the ends up shorting the cell in no time. I wonder if some additive like this could be helpful here. Not as pretty but a longer time between clean outs.

[@herrhaber9076]

"I cant describe to you how beautiful these things are" Dont worry, we're all looking and probably couldnt describe the smiles on our faces except by saying it's very large. Out of curiosity, have you ever looked at the smaller crystals from cementing under a microscope ? They are very interesting to watch and wildly differ with different concentrations of silver nitrate. Mostly "needles" and "pine trees" among crystals of various shapes. Beautiful sight.

[@mrbikeman]

You've got some real nice silver juice there. Grows some mighty fine crystals...

[@apveening]

After reading the reactions, I have one more idea for growing larger crystals. Isolate most of the bowl on the inside (wax should do, pH should be about neutral) and use some small starter crystals which are in contact with the bowl and the electrolyte. Varying current should give different results (voltage is about right, you need a certain minimum to even keep the reaction going).

[@blazingblunt5762]

Have a few questions on procedures, if u don’t mind. Looking for a safe way to extract silver from old fixer containers, from an old x-ray machine. The dried ore on top I was able to smelt but what was in the solution was too toxic. Would appreciate the time to chat over this

[@sreetips]

Sorry, I don’t have any experience with photo fixer solutions.

[@offgridstruggles7504]

Dry them completely and then add a iron oxide disk to the jar. That will suck all the oxygen out of their so they don't tarnish.

[@daviddavis2597]

Gooood evening from central Florida! Hope everyone has a great night! Silver looks delicious! How long does the anode last... batches?

[@sreetips]

Goooood evening!

[@sreetips]

About a year doing two to three runs per month

[@daviddavis2597]

@@sreetips wow... much longer than I expected!

[@maxblay6833]

That blue solution with the crystals in it looks pretty awesome

[@sledgenwedge]

@Sreetips , it may sound crazy ,but there is a chance that you could use KY Jelly as a suspension fluid ,to hold the crystals and keep them from shock damage. test a small piece of your hi purity silver Crystal in sterile KY Jelly suspension fluid for at least 10 days . see if there's any reaction and if not then you have a new packing fluid to preserve the beauty of the piece.

[@sledgenwedge]

And or maybe a jello made with extra pectin from purified distilled water basically no flavor or color gelatin as a suspension fluid

[@urbanaerials5614]

thought of a cool way to ship them that might work. get a sealable container and mix up a batch of agar agar jelly (very firm jelly that sets and stays hard at room temp). put the crystals in the container and then pour the agar agar mixture over top. let it set. and ship it out. then you should just be able to pour boiling water over the jelly once it ships and arrives, and the jelly should melt off leaving the crystals in shape. you could maybe even put an ice pack in the parcel as a backup if the parcel gets really hot.

[@fldallyb]

Just a thought, might not work at all. But could you put them into a container with melted wax then cool and ship and the customer could just melt the wax away or something like that? Possibly even put it in something like Jell-O or gelatin, shipped and then be rinsed by customer?

[@ScottRedstone]

Possible embed in gelatin. Water based. That might protect them. I’d pour one layer, let it set then lay crystals on top and pour second layer, let set, third layer, etc.

[@SMOBY44]

Interesting to see the piece of copper pipe you put in the beaker to cement the silver has a band of residue that appears to be from strapping tape. Nothing cements on that band for quite awhile.

[@sreetips]

I noticed that also

[@ericclayton6287]

I have an idea on shipping, embed them in agar gel. They can be rinsed off at the receiving end. Only an idea but worth testing on specimen or two.

[@ExtractingMetals]

For the sale of experimentation you should make some copper electrolyte and see if you can grow copper crystals with the same process.

[@mrimmortal1579]

It’s completely possible, but unfortunately would not be cost-effective to do so. As an art project it would be cool to see, but as cheap and plentiful as copper is you would lose money in the time it takes to set it up plus the electricity to run it.

[@jamesquintana3807]

Extraordinary beautiful silver crystals it will be great for a Christmas ornament displayed

[@scottprather5645]

Got to figure out a way to grow those crystals so that they're like a mineral specimen and you'd have a real gold mine on your hands or silver mine as the case may be!

[@shack_67]

I wonder, would rubbing alcohol discolor the cristals, the water would not freeze with the alcohol

[@gratshor]

You can fill jar with crystalls with spirits (methanol -97°C, ethanol -114°C or isopropanol -89°C, even 39-40%vol. ethanol solution aka "vodka" holds -25°C). Spirits are freezing not by cristalising but by thikening. Spirits are uses as component of some antyfreezes. For example for winter season windshield washing liquid in subpolar regions. Just be sure you use sulfur ions free solvent.

[@apveening]

I was also thinking about spirits (and glycol, common anti freeze).

[@ICU2B4UDO]

Senior Chief, would a combination of water and 100% Isopropyl Alcohol with a thin layer of plastic between the cap and the 💦 keep it from freezing??

[@sreetips]

Possibly. But usps is fickle about shipping liquids

[@ICU2B4UDO]

@@sreetips ...Yeah, but if you fill it to the rim, put plastic over it, pour some melted wax into the cap just before sealing it, it's water tight...And it's water and alcohol, not irradiated fusion core rod coolant!!!

[@EchoJulez]

Outstanding! I’d be interesting in seeing a video delving deeper into how the silver cell works, if you haven’t already produced one. Keep up the great work.

[@jaysonstinson9458]

you can find silver crystals in your backyard. they usually grow under sheds and porches. once you find some, just collect a few and place them in a bowl. the process is quick and easy so what are you waiting for

[@konstantinNeo]

Thank you for these videos. I have a cemented batch of silver, about 200g. Need to do the silver cell thing. I want to make silver wire out of it, however atm not sure about the alloying bit. I have heard of germanium alloying but unsure of the procedures, supposedly germanium silver does not tarnish and its more ductile that sterling. Have you done germanium alloying?

[@sreetips]

No, no experience with that.

[@larryhaynes7298]

Have you put any thought to putting the jars of crystals wit less water and freeze them before putting the cap on or will that break them with pressure of water ( thus the reason put the water as it freeze it expand what isnt covered few drops moreand few more min in the freezer ) cober send over night at the 5pm shipment from usps or fed ex what ever

[@looweeg4229]

I wonder. how much silver did you dilute into the original electrolite, how much silver was remaining in the electrolite after precipitating the excess silver with copper, how much pure silver crystals were recovered from the process. Also your yield was a lot lower on the second use of the electrolite. Were the shots less rich in silver? was the electrolite less effective because it is its second use or maybe a bit of both?

[@sreetips]

There are too many variables to list. As the filter gets clogged with slimes, the silver from the electrolyte starts depositing faster than the silver gets dissolved in the anode filter. This leads to silver depletion in the electrolyte. I can go on and on.

[@sfbfriend]

Those silver crystals are absolutely gorgeous. Silver is the most reflective metal on earth. Too bad you couldn't encapsulate them in a resin, would be permanent but man what a mantle piece. Could you see any type of pattern to them? Looks like they go from silver broccoli to rods! Weird.

[@Indie9999]

It's interesting to see the range of crystal sizes you get, I wonder if you could affect the size of them by adjusting the temperature. I wonder if you lowered the temperature you'd get bigger crystals.

[@sreetips]

I’ll have to do some experiments.

[@Indie9999]

@@sreetips Maybe if you selected one of the biggest ones you've already grown and place it back inside the cell it will continue to grow the same way. Edit: Is it possible that you can attach the electrode directly to one of the crystals instead of attaching it around the metal bowl? So you'd directly grow only on to that crystal. That combined with keeping the temperature low might encourage large perfect crystals with flat sides.

[@TheBubagrunt]

Silver saver paper will prevent tarnish oxidation. A small piece is all that’s needed.

[@donm6578]

You could sell those. Like in a small jar with a fluid that prevents tarnishing. They look so cool

[@donm6578]

Kept watching , you do sell them. I had just watched the previous silver crystal video like an hour ago, that's when I thought it would be nice to buy one. Commented on this video as soon as I saw it was up lol

[@fredericomachado478]

Try to place some tiny leds spots on the base of the container, place them to iluminate the cristals silver from bottom to top. It will look amazing.

[@sreetips]

Agree

[@brotherlongshadow8854]

This was fascinating to watch. I have something new to try now. Thanks for the video, brother

[@ctvxl]

I have a large, very heavy sterling silver platter that belonged to my grandparents. It tarnishes quickly and takes forever to clean using commercially available silver polish. It has many fine details etched into it and getting all of the tarnish out of those is a pain. Would HCL clean it and be safe to use on it? I'm thinking it might, but not sure if it is safe to use on sterling?

[@sreetips]

I wouldn’t recommend that.

[@joesammy4343]

If you want to get larger crystals ...try isolating the bowl from small vibrations from the environment .

[@______IV]

‘Elements" author Theodore Gray stated that silver didn’t tarnish as much before the industrial revolution because there was far less sulphur in the air. While that may be true, no one back then ever saw silver this pure and shiny either.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

With other forms of crystal-growing, the method for getting larger crystals is to use a very pure solution and grow the crystals very slowly. The size and shape of the crystal is a visual demonstration of the purity of the material. If I had to recreate your crystals, I would start with fresh AgNO3 crystals that were very large to begin with. Then, I'd rinse them off with 2x+ distilled water before dissolving them to saturation. Then, use already-purified silver crystals as the feedstock and make sure everything is as clean as possible, and stays clean throughout the deposition. I suspect that the big crystals got their small crystal coatings because the very-clean electrolyte became concentrated in other materials as you purified the silver. This laid down some of the contaminants on the surface of the material, which started a new crystal at that point, but with a very weak attachment, because the larger crystal had no flaws in its structure there (being that this is how crystals grow). Other factors for improving crystal size are usually things like stable environmental conditions, meaning temperature and movement of the solution. In my glass beaker silver crystal growths, shining a bright LED light through the solution at various angles will reveal streams of fluid within the solution. They have slightly different diffraction angles, so upon very close examination you can see how the more current you push, the more depleted the local solution around the deposition region is. When you deplete the local environment of silver ions, whatever contaminants present, or simply the momentary reduction of silver abundance, will cause something other than silver to be deposited, due to voltage in excess of what is required for the silver being high enough to deposit something else. This can be only temporary too, like if the water in the solution is momentarily electrolysed, even to a microscopic degree. This causes a malformation in the crystalline structure, and on that malformation another crystal will begin even if all of the starting conditions were high-purity. It is the equivalent of the crystals "Crashing out" to varying degrees.

[@sreetips]

These are actually dendrites. They are not true crystals.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

@@sreetips I was excited to learn all about dendrites after reading that. It turns out that "dendrite", in this context, refers to a tree-like, or branching structure in crystals. Further reading about dendritic crystalography, the various sources and topics tend to point to increased girth vs length when various conditions are set to "slow". Meaning low current (to keep the surface uniform in energy), high purity (because contaminants on the crystal face will form a nucleation site, and thus branching), minimized accelerations (don't bump it or play loud music), and keeping the temperature of the solid/liquid interface very stable (allow time for the spent/pregnant solution to convect so the local/surface concentrations are stable. Many of the conditions for growing a fat silver dendritic crystal with little branching really come down to different ways of saying "slow, with minimal disturbance... and in zero gravity, if possible." Pretty much the same rules for maximizing any crystal. The zero gravity part is very likely due to convection being a direct result of density variations in a gravitic field. By removing gravity, the zone proximal to the growing crystal face can be kept even more kinetically stable. The transfer of ions would then be dominated by diffusion, rather than being dominated by convection. Diffusion is much more predictable than convection, and so the less convection you cause, the more growth potential you will have on any one crystal branch.

[@sreetips]

The silver plates out, over and over, on the stainless bowl at first. Then in itself as the silvers grows.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

@@sreetips Yes. The various sources stated that before a crystal dendrite grows, it will first form a small sphere that grows until the surface is large enough to form an instability, which then grows out as a point. The mechanism at play here is described as "minimizing the total surface energy." By turning a medium energy smooth surface into a sharp point, the energy imbalance is focused on the very tip of the crystal growth while the total surface area grows rapidly as the branch forms. The frost-like crystal layers on your bowl are likely due to the many tiny imperfections where the electrons are building up and focusing there. One way to start out a run for maximizing crystal size would be to use the current limiting feature of your power supply and set it very low during the initial stages. This would [hypothetically] limit crystal growth to fewer nucleation sites. These crystal starts will then get most of the electrical current, and so the current will need to be kept very low. I suspect that whatever caused you to get bigger crystals that one time was that you went on a vacation. You didn't want the run to run out of material or short out while you were gone, so you set the current extra low (or a poor connection happened). Being that you were gone, you likely set the thermostat lower, and so the solution got cold, had low current, and greatly reduced vibrations in the fluid. Or it took a trip on the space shuttle. One of the papers I read claimed that a crystal growth experiment aboard the space shuttle had new branches start whenever the shuttle used its thrusters to change course/position.

[@billasegan3261]

VERY KOOL LOOKING SILVER CRYSTAL. THAT WOULD MAKE SOME NICE DISPLAY PIECE IN SOMETHING LIKE A GLASS SNOW GLOBE . I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH IT WEIGHED EITHER WOW HEAVY STUFF

[@dennydewaal137]

I wonder if they react to silica gel .. maybe 🤔 it’s a good shipping method

[@PeterWMeek]

Have you considered pouring a round of silver and dumping a handful of smaller crystals onto the round before it solidifies. Once it has completely solidified, shake off any crystals which are not firmly adhered to the underlying round base. By dumping cold crystals onto the almost solidified round, it would hasten the cooling of the round before it would have time to melt the crystals (at least the upper parts which would be the visible parts). This seems like it would make a very attractive art piece made of pure silver.

[@tylershoemaker8014]

I wonder if the growing conditions has something to do with the moon / astrology

[@offgridstruggles7504]

Pour those crystals in resin. They will keep their shape and make beautiful display pieces!

[@couragedoge8644]

Have you tried higher concentrations of electrolyte for bigger crystals? Play with voltages? Have you tried growing the crystals "out" instead of "in"? Could be interesting. To ship the crystals you could try to ship them in very fine sand to keep the stable. Slowly add fine sand and let settle it, then add water and seal the container. Customers can carefully extract the crystals by tipping the container on the side and then wash out the sand. Then they could reuse the container for display.

[@korpse6rinder]

The crystals grow big when they are the easiest point of current flow. There was a guy that put magnets around his cell to make certain points grow faster. Unfortunately he never finished his video series, that I know of. Something about the magnet currents makes the power flow better in spots.

[@robertspalding4717]

Likewise, if there are seed crystals (nucleation points), the silver will grow faster. As you were scraping the bowl, you were getting rid of places that will grow the crystals fastest. Similar to seed pearls, or rock candy.

[@webrockers]

@@robertspalding4717 @sreetips that was exactly my thought. Maybe you could experiment on that?

[@sreetips]

The silver is not true crystals. It’s called silver crystal because it looks like crystals.

[@hussbilbs]

The silver crystals are gorgeous.

[@marcusrobinson1778]

I think if you cathode was a small spot on the bottom of the bowl the silver would stack ontop of that one spot and make larger silver crystals. Think of rock candy. If you had a million strings when it precipitates out it can go anywhere. If one string and you keep the solution saturated it has to form in that one location.

[@MarkMarvin1983]

I’m always amazed how beautiful the crystals are when you harvest them! Too bad I never got the chance to try this in my college Chemistry Lab! ❤

[@kimberlynolz5725]

Im looking into creating a silver cell that produces a magnetic field around the cell to see what kind of crystal manipulation I can get.

[@sitflyer2661]

I was wondering if 91% isopropyl alcohol would make a suitable replacement for the water?

[@Steelythestacker]

Those are really big chunks! The biggest crystal I have grown is only about 3/8" long with the diameter of a pencil.

[@hectororellana3397]

I would try packing those silver cristal on a thin jewelry box and pack it with cotton balls on top and bottom so they won’t move and there’s a good chance they will not brake cause they won’t be loose or moving try it friend and see if it works.

[@moviezaftermidnight6348]

The large silver crystals in these epoxy items would be really nice.... like a globe with the silver crystals like a snow flake.. epoxy on a lathe projects.. They look like "Dilithium Crystals" for the starship warp drive...

[@jonathannorthup5705]

What if you semi freeze the crystals in the package your sending so they a bit more protection you know do the distilled water trick where you get it below freezing without the water freezing and flip it over so the air bubbles turn it to slush 👌

[@TheHookBoy]

Would rubbing alcohol protect the silver crystals? I mean, it won’t freeze and if it doesn’t tarnish the crystals, that might be an option.

[@benstrait333]

I thought that too!

[@TheHookBoy]

@@benstrait333 Initially I was thinking about using something like 90% rubbing alcohol, but the more I thought about it, if he is really worried about the water freezing, a certain dilution of alcohol and distilled water would lower the temperature that is needed to freeze the plain distilled water.

[@benstrait333]

@@TheHookBoy good point!

[@jackfntwist]

I think it's better if you send the crystals dry, secured in foam, and the bottle separately. That way they won't make impact with anything. Plus less weight for shipping. If you send them in the bottle, they will impact against each other and the glass.

[@whiterhyno3574]

Sreetips ; does that mean those very rare crystals are even closer to 100% purity? ex: 99.999 or closer?

[@whiterhyno3574]

Excellent demo by the way

[@herrhaber9076]

Impurities impart defects in crystals so it's a definite "YES". Note that some impurities in gemstones will actually make them more valuable. Think pink or blue diamonds for example.

[@weedwacker1716]

Rubbing alcohol is only 30% water so I doubt that would freeze. Then there's mineral oil. And I couldn't tell what you were using, but if it were me I'd use plastic bottles. And while we're at it, why not break it up into smaller lots? Sold individually wouldn't they bring a higher price overall?

[@weedwacker1716]

It just occurred to me that you don't ship 70% isopropyl unless you want to get into trouble for unauthorized hazmat. So, yeah, _duh._

[@longdogmcbarky1457]

Did you have music playing when those crystals formed?

[@sreetips]

No

[@paulfay357]

Thanks Sreetips We appreciate your hard work. Just a quick question. Does your anode contact block need to be high purity? Or would it be just as effective if you poured them using your 90 plus percent silver shot that you make by melting down your cement silver?

[@sreetips]

90% silver would work. I use high purity silver because it melts easy, easier to pour and work with.

[@chrish1585]

I know, you don't answer questions on here, but maybe in an upcoming video. Do you melt down and pour into ingots the silver crystal?

[@sreetips]

Yes, I’ll probably do some soon. Thank you

[@chrisvanderburg5568]

I agree not shipping in water for 2 reasons, freezing and heating. Having your bottle hydrostaticlly full leaves no level of expansion for both temperature ranges. I recommend using the gel out of gel packs. Use 1 ziplock bag with a smaller ziplock that fits inside the larger one. Suspend the large one with open end up then suspend the smaller one inside the larger one open end up. Add a little distilled water to the inner bag. Pour the packing gel fluid into the larger bag. As the level comes up it will exert a gentle force on the inner bag. Simply place the crystals into the smaller bag as the level comes up. Use the increasing level of gel as a spacer to space your crystals equally. If you want to limit the amount of swelling of the outer bag then simply do this operation in a box of adequate measurements. I use this method to ship the 8 leg porcelain isolators I manufacture for a customer. Havent broke one yet and they are more fragile than the silver crystals. You can also loosely cap the glass container and vacuum pack it or flood the container with nitrogen gas (works better when applied cold as it displaces the air in the bottle) I have read about growing gold crystals electrolytically out of solution. Is this something you tried or willing to try? Love your video sir. Keep cranking them out and I'll keep liking and sharing. Btw can you replace the cutting board with a chunk of lexan. Would love to see the crystal growing from an overhead timelapse. I'll even have one made up for you for free if you sent the measurements including center hole. If so let me know. Thank you

[@sreetips]

Type “wohlwill” into search block on my channel to see the gold cell in operation.

[@chrisvanderburg5568]

@@sreetips thank you for your reply sir. With all the acid you use to render gold in solution then precipitate then 5 or 6 boils then washes and whatever else you do to achieve a bar of high purity gold, how much does that cost?

[@uncle_thulhu]

Suggestion: ship the (utterly gorgeous) crystals in some kind of gel? Silicon rubber? Gelatin? At a pinch, lube? Anything to cushion them. I recommend some kind of (preferably non-perishable) gelatin. Then you can just sit them in some hot water and it will just melt away. Aquagel might work too - just throw a large pinch of Orbees in the jar with the silver, fill it with water, let the Orbees absorb and expand until they are holding everything in place and then pour off the excess. Personally, I'd most likely cast them in resin.

[@sreetips]

In clear acrylic

[@uncle_thulhu]

@@sreetips exactly! In fact, I would probably put them in tinted acrylic, blue or maybe red. They're so beautiful, they'd make excellent (and fairly valuable) desk ornaments. Of course, encasing them in acrylic does rather limit what you can do with them. That's why I was thinking gelatin or aquagel for shipping - they both melt and dissolve in hot water.

[@SilverTreasures]

$166.57 per ozt is a smidge too much over spot for me. Beautiful crystals though!

[@llamapi3]

These entire processes are fascinating

[@ChrisCVW]

Seeing the crystal form of silver makes me wonder if you could ever get a crystalline gold? Some process of precipitating the gold electrolytically through an appropriate medium? Not that I’ve spitballed some revolutionaries better refinement process, I just wonder if they are possible would gold crystals would be as spectacular?

[@sreetips]

Agree