How to tell the difference between da natural crystal and da man made crystal?
613277
A crystal (most likely from a Greek word which means "ice") is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions.\n\nGenerally, crystals form when they undergo a process of solidification. Under ideal conditions, the result may be a single crystal, where all of the atoms in the solid fit into the same crystal structure. However, generally, many crystals form simultaneously during solidification, leading to a polycrystalline solid. For example, most metals encountered in everyday life are polycrystals. Crystals are often symmetrically intergrown to form crystal twins.\n\n\nWhich crystal structure the fluid will form depends on the chemistry of the fluid, the conditions under which it is being solidified, and also on the ambient pressure. The process of forming a crystalline structure is often referred to as crystallization.\nSynthetic bismuth crystal\nEnlarge\nSynthetic bismuth crystal\n\nWhile the cooling process usually results in the generation of a crystalline material, under certain conditions, the fluid may be frozen in a noncrystalline state. In most cases, this involves cooling the fluid so rapidly that atoms cannot travel to their lattice sites before they lose mobility. A noncrystalline material, which has no long-range order, is called an amorphous, vitreous, or glassy material. It is also often referred to as an amorphous solid, although there are distinct differences between solids and glasses: most notably, the process of forming a glass does not release the latent heat of fusion. For this reason, many scientists consider glassy materials to be viscous liquids rather than solids, although this is a controversial topic; see the entry on glass for more details.\nInsulin crystals\nEnlarge\nInsulin crystals\n\nCrystalline structures occur in all classes of materials, with all types of chemical bonds. Almost all metal exists in a polycrystalline state; amorphous or single-crystal metals must be produced synthetically, often with great difficulty. Ionically bonded crystals can form upon solidification of salts, either from a molten fluid or when it condenses from a solution. Covalently bonded crystals are also very common, notable examples being diamond, silica, and graphite. Polymer materials generally will form crystalline regions, but the lengths of the molecules usually prevents complete crystallization. Weak Van der Waals forces can also play a role in a crystal structure; for example, this type of bonding loosely holds together the hexagonal-patterned sheets in graphite.\n\nMost crystalline materials have a variety of crystallographic defects. The types and structures of these defects can have a profound effect on the properties of the materials.\nGallium, a metal that easily forms large single crystals\nEnlarge\nGallium, a metal that easily forms large single crystals\nA large artificial monocrystal grown by Saint-Gobain for the megajoule laser of CEA.\nEnlarge\nA large artificial monocrystal grown by Saint-Gobain for the megajoule laser of CEA.\n\nWhile the term "crystal" has a precise meaning within materials science and solid-state physics, colloquially "crystal" refers to solid objects that exhibit well-defined and often pleasing geometric shapes. Various shapes of such crystals are found in nature. The shape of these crystals is dependent on the types of molecular bonds between the atoms to determine the structure, as well as on the conditions under which they formed. Snowflakes, diamonds, and common salt are common examples of crystals.\n\nSome crystalline materials may exhibit special electrical properties such as the ferroelectric effect or the piezoelectric effect.\n\nThe behaviour of light in crystals is described by crystal optics. In periodic dielectric structures a range of unique optical properties can be expected as described in photonic crystals.\n\nCrystallography
1120366
1. The difference between rocks & minerals\nhttp://www.rocks-and-minerals.com/ gives a simple but good explanation of the difference between rocks & minerals.\n\nIt is not easy to tell the difference between rocks & minerals because there are so many kinds of them. It takes years of study to be able to accurately identify a mystery rock and even then rockhounds want to know where the specimen came from. \n\nRocks\nAll rocks are made of 2 or more minerals, but minerals are not made of rocks. To see some pictures of different kinds of rocks, click here.\n\nRock Words: There are many common names for rocks and the usually give you an idea of how big the rock is. Here are a few:\n boulder - large, taller than a person \n rock - large, you could get your arms around it or a bit smaller but it is usually jagged, broken off a bigger piece of rock  \n river rock - round rocks that are along the edge & at the bottom of fast-flowing rivers  \n stone - medium, you could hold it in two hands  \n pebble - small, you can hold it with two fingers, could get stuck in your shoe, usually rounded  \n sand - made up of tiny pieces of rock, grains of sand  \n grain - tiny, like a grain of rice or smaller, often found on a beach  \n dust - really fine powder that is mixed in with sand or soil  \n mountain - huge, giant hunk of rock that is still attached to the earth's crust, doesn't move, tall  \n\n\nFor an excellent Rock Identification test, click on http://www.bwctc.northants.sch.uk/html/projects/science/ks34/rocks/key.html\n\n \n\nMinerals\nA mineral is the same all the way through. That is one reason we speak of a sample or a specimen rather than a rock. There are about 3000 known minerals on earth. Al rocks are made up of 2 or more of these minerals. To find out more about different kinds of minerals, click here.
493223
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Diamond_unit_cell.PNG\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond#Crystal_structure
999965
Use water, preferably from a source that you know is as pure as possible and is natural, like a stream.  If you wish to do some sort of ritual to bless the water, do that.  Take up a soft cloth, dip the crystal in the water and wipe it clean.  If, after a good scrubbing, there is still dirt, well, that's a natural thing, so just live with it.
402176
You're right, spectroscopy is the proper method...Below you'll find a link to a quick and simple explanation.
450305
The question was presented as an example of something puzzling - you have a substance - tartaric acid if i remember that is not optically active and then you have the same substance (but made as a result of microbial activity) that has identical properties, the only difference is that it is optically active - nobody then knew why\n\nhe let the optically inactive solution  crystalize, looked really close and well and compared - then noticed that the crystals differ - are like a miror image, he manually sorted them out and WOW the 2 solutions were optically active - the same degree but oposite direction (if you understand me, i do not know what this is called in english). then he assume that the microbes can do the sorting in their body. He spent his lifetime looking in microscopes or experimenting with unbelievable patience while enyybody else would have given up long time ago, thats why he made so many breakthroughs
1096251
One easy quick & easy way to find out is the streak test. Rub the mineral in question across an unglazed porcelain tile. If the streak it makes is black then it is pyrite (fool's gold). If it is golden yellow then you have gold. You can find these tiles in your local home & garden shop or hardware store.\n\nAnother simple one is the hardness test. Gold has a hardness of 2.5 to 3 on Moh's Scale. Pyrite is 6 to 6.5. Glass has a hardness of about 5.5. According to Moh's scale you should be able to scratch glass w/ pyrite but not w/ gold. Pennies can also be used as their hardness is about 3.5.\n\nGold is found in several different forms or habits. It can be dendritic (vein-like) or massive as in nuggets. Upon examining pyrite more closely (perhaps w/ a 10x magnifier) you will see that while it resembles a gold nugget it is actually made up of many tiny little cubes.\n\nGold will not cleave whereas pyrite will. Cleavage is simply how a mineral breaks evenly due to weaknesses in its crystal structure. Pyrite has cubic cleavage so that when it is hammered it will come apart in perfect little cubes.
961759
1) Naturally occurring\n2) Inorganic\n3) An ordered crystalline structure
67990
search in www.froogle.com\n\nit will show u the diff
353122
I did this as a kid...  grow your own crystal garden!\n\nhttp://chemistry.about.com/cs/growingcrystals/ht/charcoalgarden.htm\n\n\nhttp://chemistry.about.com/od/crystallography/
60471
Here is a nice experiment to try.\nhttp://www.angelfire.com/mo/sasschool/DKScieMatter10.html\n\n"This tasty crystal making experiment is a great way to see the formation of crystals almost right in front of your eyes."\n\nAnother one.\nhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/crystals.htm\n\n"Crystal Ornament"\n\nAnother.\nhttp://www.yesmag.bc.ca/projects/crystal_gardens.html\n\n"Crystal Gardens"\n\nOne for microscopic crystals.\nhttp://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/earth/waton/crystal.html\n\n"Crystal growing made easy"
827509
Salt is a crystal......crystals grow when brought back to solid form
499285
It depends on what you mean by "simulated" diamonds.  If you mean something like cubic zirconium then the answer is no, they are not real diamonds.  However, if you mean man made diamonds, then the answer is yes, they are real diamonds.  Man made diamonds are made of the same material, have the same crystalline structure and have all of the same characteristics as a natural diamond.  Its simply a matter of them having been formed in a laboratory and "real" or natural diamonds having formed in nature.  Both methods require extreme heat and pressure but yield the same material.  Man made diamonds have fewer inclusions and flaws than natural diamonds.  A man made diamond,even though it is the exact same thing as a natural diamond, can only be sold as a man made diamond and can never be represented as a natural diamond.
1144432
If  a substance is made of a single crystal(i.e. only one single crystal of large size) ,it is single crystal substance\nbut if the substance is made up of more than one crystal, then poly crystal subject
213385
there are a few diff. types of crystals....there's hard rock candy crystals, crystal ball, crystal chandelier...crystal meth...they pretty much speak for themselves.
10701
If you're looking for a real diamond, but man-made, the newest thing is called "cultured diamonds".  They are grown in a lab and apparently are actually diamonds, just man-made.  Three companies make these, which you can look up on Google.  They are Apollo Diamonds, Gemesis and Chatham.
149062
The question is not clear.  Are you asking what a crystal is?  Are you asking what the different crystal structures are?  Are you asking for the characteristics of crystals in general?