Why an Opal Doesn’t Hold Color Like a Green Leaf or Blue Car
February 1st, 2010 // 3:35 pm @ admin
A miner in Australia stands tired and alone next to a hole in the ground. He is surrounded by desolate plains of dirt. The sun is hot, there is no water, and the distance is distorted in all directions by waves of heat. With his back to the sun, he wipes hard [...]
A Surprising Little Trick to Get the Right Color From Your Photonic Crystals
January 26th, 2010 // 3:06 pm @ admin
How do your opal crystals look?
Here at NanoScienceKits.org, we have a really good lesson learned nugget to pass on.
When you set your opal science kit into motion and begin to watch your photonic spheres settle and the opal crystals start to grow in the bottom, it is really important to use the right light to [...]
What the Heck is Opal Anyway?!
January 23rd, 2010 // 6:54 am @ admin
What is opal?
Opal is one of the most beautiful and precious gemstones found on the earth. It is predominantly found in Australia, which makes up 85% of the total opal in the world today. Opal is made over millions of years by water trickling through sandstone and picking up tiny particles of silica on [...]