Ever wonder how crystals form? Let’s take an imaginary journey to the center of the earth and find out!
Different types of crystals are created in different ways, but almost all crystals form by new matter being added to a mass of crystal that’s already growing.
Some, such as quartz minerals, begin their life in the fiery gasses found in the center of the earth (magma) or in volcanic lava that’s streamed up to the earth’s surface.
As it cools and hardens these magmatic, or igneous, crystals are formed. This can happen quite quickly, resulting in small crystals, or take eons, allowing large crystals to form.
When the hot magma cools enough for water vapor to condense into liquid, it makes crystals such as Kunzite and Aragonite. If it penetrates rock, the liquid cools very slowly, making large crystals and geodes of Amethyst, Chalcedony and similar crystals.
Crystals such as sulfur grow in volcanic areas from hot mineralized gasses that become solid as the vapors escape from inner earth.
Sedimentary minerals are formed when air, water, wind and ice break down rocks at the earth’s surface. Mineralized water drips through the rock or flows like a river, carrying materials that eventually become crystals such as Calcite.
Metamorphic minerals like Garnet are made when existing minerals undergo intense heat and pressure in the lower region of the earth’s crust. This causes their atoms to reorganize.
Despite their growing popularity, don’t worry about running out of crystals. Inside the earth’s crust, mineral rich molten magma continues creating new ones all the time!
I hope you found this post on how crystals form to be helpful! If so, feel free to share it– tweet your friends!
In Light, Alexandria
http://www.AlexandriaBarker.com
