Bismuth hopper crystal (macro-photogrammetry)

3D ModelNoAI

Locality: -

Size: 2 cm x 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm

Formula: Bi

Description: Bismuth is rarely found in nature in its elemental form.

Synthetic bismuth crystal exhibiting the ‘stair-step’ crystal structure (pseudocubic ‘hopper’ crystals) that is square or rectangular in shape and is lab-grown. The iridescence metallic colors (with hues of blue, green, purple and gold) are produced by interference of light within the oxide film on its surface.

Hopper crystals are a unique crystallographic curiosity. Just the edges extend outward from the center of the crystal leaving hollow stair-step faces between these edges. The hopper crystals form due to the disparity of growth rates between the crystal edges and the crystal faces.

Website: http://geology.uaic.ro/muzee/mineralogie/

Concept & 3D-modelling by Andrei Ionut APOPEI