This is bismuth — a natural chemical element that chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. But there’s a catch with this crystal. While bismuth occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust ...

The deeper the pool of bismuth is in the pan the better, because the crystals will have extra room to grow before they touch the bottom. The more you use the more impressive your results will be.

and bismite (bismuth oxide), but also occurs in its elemental state, in the form of crystals with an oxide layer of varying width that reflects iridescent colours (pictured). It is commonly ...