How - one might ask - is it that as little as one contaminating atom in a million can spoil the beauty of an element? Surely that has to be hyperbole.

It’s not.

As proof, you may have already noticed how much a “dead pixel” can spoil a screen with otherwise millions of other functioning pixels. With most metals, an oxidized atom on a surface is virtually unnoticeable but the more chemically reactive the metal the more it becomes obvious.

And strontium is supremely vulnerable to the marring effects of the oxygen atom. Keeping strontium pristine is a challenge out of reach of most amateur chemists because of the enormous difficulty involved in clearing out a chamber of all traces of oxygen, water vapor and other contaminants to achieve a truly inert atmosphere in which to work with. Only then can this delicate metal be free to develop its crystalline character.

For those in the know, a sample of perfectly lustrous strontium is a prized possession and an even higher bonus if it’s in crystalline form!