{"title":"periodic table","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"cerium-2-lucite-cube","title":"Cerium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe rare earths aren't really all that rare. While they're widely distributed all over the earth they're rare enough in the sense that there aren't that many locations where you can find them in concentrated deposits that make mining profitable. And when you do find those deposits the refining steps yield misch metal which is sort of an onomatopoeia for what it actually is: a mishmash of seventeen different metals. Getting those isolated from each other has been rated as one of the major chemical engineering headaches of metallurgical science!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn any case, cerium will account for about half of the misch metal alloy and is the most abundant of those 17 elements. Cerium is also shy about being seen naked so it covers itself with an oxygenated apron yielding a dull coat when stored in mineral oil. Left in the open air it disintegrates right back into its primal earthen state!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eOffering cerium in its unoxidized state requires storage in an inert atmosphere like argon. And that's exactly what we have to offer here with this 3-5g sample of 99.99% purity embedded in a 2x2 inch (50x50mm) block of crystal clear Lucite acrylic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47746564849829,"sku":"Ce2x2","price":105.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/DSC_5837.jpg?v=1777277281"},{"product_id":"chromium-acrylic-cube","title":"Chromium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eEveryone's familiar with chromium as \"chrome\", that super shiny quintessence of what metal should be. Of course, what they're looking at is only a very thin electrolytically deposited layer and oftentimes it ain't even real chromium but aluminum (pshaw!!).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eReal-to-the-core chromium is however a brittle metal, and costly besides, which explains why its beauty only goes skin deep in most cases. For our purposes though chromium's fragility doesn't matter one bit as it sits behind a thick, protective shield of acrylic and can fully appreciate its icy good looks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eHere we have the real McCoy in a chunk of ultra-pure chromium metal weighing over an ounce and embedded in a 2x2\" (50x50mm) block of crystal clear Lucite acrylic.  Hand cast in the USA.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47746564980901,"sku":"Cr2x2","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Chromium_01f325a7-3ea4-4614-b79d-75c19041099e.webp?v=1777277283"},{"product_id":"dubnium-50mm-cube","title":"Dubnium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDubnium was named after the Russian city of Dubna just outside of Moscow. The city is remarkable in that it was founded basically around a campus dedicated to nuclear research at the height of the cold war. The Soviets invested heavily and brought in the scientific elite to work on transuranic science for benefits scientific and political alike. In recent years the city has become much more open and collaborative with its western counterparts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe discovery of this element is mired in some controversy as rival teams from the U.S. and Germany poked doubt into Russia's reports from the experiments they claimed yielded the as-yet unnamed element. The argument would continue for several decades all the meanwhile all three teams continued to provide conclusive proof of the existence of these fleeting atomic creations. In the end, years after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the Russians would at long last get the satisfaction of seeing their former colleagues honored when IUPAC - the supreme court in these sorts of matters - granted them the coveted recognition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47746569699493,"sku":"Db2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Dubnium_282_29_ef5217c7-e92e-41a9-9d12-5d0070fdcb8b.webp?v=1778165279"},{"product_id":"aluminum-50mm-lucite-cube","title":"Aluminum 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eMost aluminum sold worldwide is in fact an alloy of 92-99% aluminum with the rest being other elements such as magnesium, iron or zinc. The various recipes are tailored for the specific use with each of these elements offsetting a shortcoming of pure aluminum while adding some desirable quality such as extra strength or resistance to corrosion. Even “pure” aluminum as commercially available, the so-called aluminum 1100 series, is really only around 99% pure as higher levels of purity require expensive extra processing that doesn’t end up being any better or worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut 99.99% pure aluminum is a lab concoction useful only in very specialized applications.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eLike a miniature disco ball seemingly hovering without support, here we have a sphere of this ultra-pure aluminum. These spheres were engineered as specialty bearings which need to be lightweight and (for whatever reason) free of impurities. Far more expensive and delicate than their steel counterparts their relatively high cost is due to their needing to be individually machined. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47746571108517,"sku":"Al2x2","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Aluminum_285_29.webp?v=1777277377"},{"product_id":"silver-mirror-cube","title":"Silver Mirror Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eIf you can afford to splurge on only one mirror polished cube these silver ones would be an ideal choice. Costing much more than the regular ones, and waaaay more than their modest weight would be as bullion, the expense is justified in the extraordinary level of care and difficulty in getting a six-sided mirror to laser sharp edges. Each one is a masterpiece of engineering and we guarantee your total delight!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"10mm (mirror polished)","offer_id":47820944244901,"sku":"Ag10mm_mp","price":51.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"25.4mm (mirror polished)","offer_id":47820944277669,"sku":"Ag25.4mm_mp","price":390.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"50mm (mirror polished)","offer_id":47820944310437,"sku":"Ag50mm_mp","price":2500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Silver_283_29.webp?v=1778165688"},{"product_id":"mercury-metal-cube","title":"Mercury Metal \"Cube\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eDepending on just how nitpicky you want to be, mercury is arguably the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature and unlike contenders cesium and gallium it most certainly is the only metal that stays liquid even in the type of room whose heating fails in the middle of a Minnesota winter. In fact, mercury’s most notable role through the last three centuries has been its use in thermometers as it reliably marks the hottest summer peaks and all but the coldest of polar winters. In this last use it, of course, has over the past couple of decades all but become as commonplace as phone booths for reasons of safety (at least insofar as public perceptions are concerned).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut therein lies the problem. Unless you happen to live in Siberia or Alaska the chances of it being cold enough for mercury to freeze (at around 38° below) your cube collection is never going to be complete. Worry ye not! Thanks to the amazing properties of nature we can fake our way through this little inconvenience by injecting the metal into a plastic container and sticking a cheap sticker on top and whoaa, heyyy, we’ve a mercury cube now! While we were initially skeptic they easily exceeded expectations as they look and feel great in hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003ePs. disclaimer time: these cubes are, in case it needs to be spelled out, meant as scientific collectibles. The lids are glued shut to prevent leakage or noxious vapors from escaping but will probably not survive a fall onto a concrete floor nor present much of a challenge to a kid with a hammer. The  mercury within poses no harm to you or anyone else \u003cstrong\u003eso long as it stays inside the box\u003c\/strong\u003e. Breaking it out on purpose to play with the same way bored kids used to do with those old thermometers back in the 1970’s is a really really \u003cem\u003ereally \u003c\/em\u003ebad idea. Cut ‘em a little slack… they didn’t have Xbox or TikTok, you know? So unless you’re 100% confident that you can keep this one away from the more buttered-fingered or mischievous members of your family then we seriously urge you to be okay with not filling this hole in your set.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eNew as of May 2024: we are discontinuing the old glued boxes filled with mercury and switching over to sealed glass. More expensive but a whole lot more elegant!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"10mm sealed glass cube with 1g","offer_id":47820942803109,"sku":"Hg10mm_sg","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"10mm Mercury Cube","offer_id":47810164129957,"sku":"Hg10mm","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Mercury10mm_62272d4c-9171-4931-96c9-abaa917b216e.webp?v=1778165702"},{"product_id":"fluorine-cube","title":"Fluorine Cube 75%","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eWait, fluorine’s a gas, right? Yes, and an impossible one to capture under ordinary conditions. This gas is likely the most immediately lethal of any natural element on the Periodic Table. You would sooner do laps in a swimming pool filled with mercury or sunbathe in plutonium’s glow than take a single whiff of fluorine. It is, in fact, so chemically reactive that it can happily eat through glass which is among the most inert of solid materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd that poses a problem for collectors looking to fill the ninth slot on their display case. What to put in there? Teflon, the miracle invention that lets you scrape off last week’s Mac’n’Cheese from the pan with with a flick of the wrist, is a compound that is 75% fluorine and 25% carbon. The two atoms lock into long chains so tenaciously that it becomes both a physical and chemical barrier. Those leftovers have nothing to cling onto so slide right off.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile this is clearly the poor man’s alternative, 75% is actually remarkably rich for a compound. It is purer, comparatively, than sodium in salt (at only 40%) or even the amount of iron in rust (66%). Fluorite, the typical stand-in for this element in collections, is actually less than 50% fluorine. This makes Teflon a very credible substitute; at least until such day that we can fashion exotic cube-shaped quartz traps to hold the pure gas. Best of all, it’s pretty cheap!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eAn unforeseen hurdle in the manufacture of these cubes was the challenge of engraving them. Usually a simple process, charring via laser produces a nice contrast to make the cubes legible. The problem, of course, is that nothing sticks to this stuff! The lettering would slide off at the merest touch. The lab overcame this problem with some secret sauce but, as you can see from the photos, success in this endeavor has only been partial… arguably a charming conversation topic in its own right :-)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"10mm Teflon Cube","offer_id":47811157524645,"sku":"F10mm","price":8.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25.4mm Teflon Cube","offer_id":47811157688485,"sku":"F25.4mm","price":16.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50mm Teflon Cube","offer_id":47828898873509,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/DSC_2339.webp?v=1777277681"},{"product_id":"gas-cubes","title":"Gas cubes","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhoaa! Gas cubes, really? Yep. One of the most asked-for emails that have been cluttering the Luciteria inbox has been a variant of “Can you guys make like a box with sealed gas?” And now it’s finally a reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile we’ve had gas ampules on offer for years these are a poor choice for the collectors who are putting together a set of pure elements in cubic centimeter format. The cheap and easy way often suggested - Hey! great idea why don’t you fill up one of your little plastic boxes with ____ gas? - is not really workable. Just as a helium balloon goes flat after a few hours your plastic box would soon be replaced with air and there goes your investment. Yes, you can glue the lid shut but these are very small, fast-moving atoms that will happily tunnel out of even impossibly small cracks and pores - right through the glue, in fact.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe knew the only effective option had to be glass. But glass makers, the type that provide glassware for laboratories anyway, do not make convenient little 10mm glass boxes. Sure would be nice if they did but unless we were willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a custom size we had to improvise. And the result is…. actually pretty nice! We’re not actually sure how it was done but we suspect the solution involves taking off-the-shelf borosilicate glass test tubes which are heated to the point of being pliable then quickly stuffed into a square hole. The cube is then back-filled with the target gas exactly the same way as the ampules.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result isn’t perfect as this un-retouched photo and linked video clip shows: the glass walls are not perfectly straight and the top has a nipple that is not flush with the other sides. But this is nitpicking. They’re quite attractive little pieces that fit perfectly in our 14mm case. The 2mm-thick glass walls provide strength to spare so that if they should accidentally fall there’s a good chance they won’t break. The killer of course is that these can be made to light up, each in its own signature color the same as with all the other ampules.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach glass cube comes with a sticker on the bottom to avoid confusion and all gases are 99.99% pure.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Argon","offer_id":47746599026853,"sku":"Ar10mm","price":16.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fluorine (30% F, 70% N)","offer_id":47806068883621,"sku":"F10mm_glass","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Helium","offer_id":47806068916389,"sku":"He10mm","price":16.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hydrogen","offer_id":47806068949157,"sku":"H10mm","price":19.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Krypton","offer_id":47806068981925,"sku":"Kr10mm","price":19.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Oxygen","offer_id":47806069014693,"sku":"O10mm","price":16.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Neon","offer_id":47806069047461,"sku":"Ne10mm","price":16.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Nitrogen","offer_id":47806069080229,"sku":"N10mm","price":20.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Xenon","offer_id":47806069112997,"sku":"Xe10mm","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Krypton 60mm sphere","offer_id":47806069145765,"sku":"Kr60mm","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/DSC_2337.webp?v=1778165704"},{"product_id":"potassium-metal-cube","title":"Potassium Metal Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eFew elements are as finicky as potassium. Although familiar to everyone, most are unaware that it’s an actual metal and not just something vaguely mineral-sounding thing having to do with nutrition. It reacts violently with oxygen, guaranteeing that it can’t stay looking metallic for more than literally a few seconds in open air before turning into an earthy compound. On top of that, it also happens to be about as soft as butter. With those characteristics it’s little wonder that a “cube” of potassium is not a realistic project.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eAnd yet.. well… see for yourself. Here’s the real deal. A fully formed and oxide-free cube of potassium has made it from drawing board to real life product. The same knowhow used to produce the lithium and sodium cubes works here just as well with the only notable difference being that it is even more delicate. Greater concessions to small imperfections along the edges are to be expected as the minutest movement is sufficient to reshape it. Gone, too, is the blinding glint of the pure metal as evident when it is allowed to mold itself to the glass walls. Even with those caveats, without question, this beautiful bluish-purple cube is in every way a more desirable format compared to the first prototypes consisting of a glass cube into which formless potassium was injected.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eBe literally one of the very first - and the very few - in the world to have an actual object made out of this metal! \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003ePlease be aware that due to buoyancy the engraved side of the 25.4mm cube may shift.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"10mm sealed glass cube with 0.1g","offer_id":47820857245861,"sku":"K10mm_sg","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"10mm cube in 15x60mm flat bottom ampule","offer_id":47820857278629,"sku":"K10mm","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"25.4mm cube in glass dome (oil float)","offer_id":47820857311397,"sku":"K25.4mm","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/DSC_4775_7c9a14a1-d169-4646-91c0-1ac7352a8a5c.webp?v=1778165711"},{"product_id":"chlorine-glass-cube","title":"Chlorine Glass Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eUnlike liquid solutions, very few gases have a tint to them - and those that do are poisonous. Chlorine’s pretty hue of yellow belies its stark incompatibility with all living organisms. Even in very dilute form it is known as that nasty pool air that stings your lungs and turns your eyes bloodshot. It is, along with white phosphorus, the only element that has been weaponized just for its innate toxicity - and its effects so horrid that adherents to the Geneva Protocols have banned their wartime use.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis little cube here contains the deadly cargo in its purest form possible but… it’s a paper tiger. Like a thumbnail-sized kraken or Freddy Krueger, it’s more cute than dangerous given its small size. If it were to break you will probably notice the smell but if your eyes well up with tears it will be because it’s so costly to replace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Chlorine gas 10mm sealed glass cube","offer_id":47820854886565,"sku":"Cl10mm","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Chlorine10mm_a0ab5505-1089-4873-837a-41155c13d82e.webp?v=1778165712"},{"product_id":"cesium-50mm-lucite-cube-cs2x2","title":"Cesium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eCesium is perhaps the most sought after element for those looking to complete a set of the periodic table. That's probably because, like gallium, you can melt it in your hand. Except you wouldn't do that because you would melt your hand off, too, in a strangely beautiful but all too tragic purple flame. However, holding the cesium safely with a little glass wall in between is another story. Much prettier than gallium, the brassy color and the sheer difficulty of locating the stuff heighten the appeal and wow factor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCesium metal ampoule with one gram of 99.99+ purity embedded in a 2x2 inch (50x50mm) block of crystal clear Lucite acrylic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806016422053,"sku":"Cs2x2","price":135.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/DSC_6849.webp?v=1778165182"},{"product_id":"erbium-50mm-lucite-cube-er2x2","title":"Erbium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eErbium is another illustrious member of the Rare Earth Gang. The exceedingly difficult task of separating it from the other rare earths is what makes it rare and expensive. The very few uses that have been found for this metal rest solely in its oxides or alloys. No sculptor has ever set chisel to a block of pure erbium nor jeweler received a commission to make art out of it either. Unless the world someday is host to an eccentric billionaire geek who would like a limited edition all-erbium sports car it's very doubtful anyone will ever make use of this metal either.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExcept us.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe would like to make history by making our own little modest shrine to the Metal Gods with this hand cast Lucite cube featuring a commercially rare piece of 99.9%+ pure erbium to be admired by all and sundry!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806016684197,"sku":"Er2x2","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/DSC_6848_651de09a-0444-4719-9892-3f9dd95e3efd.webp?v=1778165186"},{"product_id":"europium-50mm-lucite-cube-eu2x2","title":"Europium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery element collector looks longingly at that row down near the bottom of the periodic table with the unpronounceable names. None of those slots are easy to fill and the \"rare\" in rare earths only raises the interest that much more. But as it turns out only a couple of those are actually truly rare. Europium and lutetium are the crown jewels in this neighborhood; Lu for rarity and Eu for its legendary difficulty in getting a tarnish-free specimen. Well, here's your chance at getting your hands on just such a beast. Check out that oxygen-starved glint. You know you want it. A happy 3g of unoxidized europium in argon, embedded in a 2x2 inch (50x50mm) block of crystal clear Lucite acrylic.  Lovingly embedded just for you in the USA.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806016880805,"sku":"Eu2x2","price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Europium_adc54e51-5a01-4b25-88b5-8a0961d1ddb1.webp?v=1778165189"},{"product_id":"calcium-50mm-lucite-cube-ca2x2","title":"Calcium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eCalcium - known to every schoolkid as some vaguely healthy substance in milk and cheese - is an element whose true nature is much less well known to most people. The metal simply cannot exist in nature uncombined with other elements because it is too reactive; that is, too willing to pair its atoms with other atoms to form molecules.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile in free form it is unknown to so many its molecules sure aren't: CaCO3 gives us both chalk and marble while the slightly different CaSO4 is much better known as the sheet rock that lines most American homes. Your very bones are a brew of calcium phosphates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eEven though you get it from drinking milk and yogurt, people shouldn't be surprised to learn that calcium is a metal. After all, reading through the ingredients list on a cereal box there's iron and magnesium and others too. But the thing is that calcium isn't something most are familiar with as an \u003cem\u003eobject\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd yet, it really is a metal. On the moon it would make for a perfect metal to make, I don't know, a cell tower or something. It's very light and plentiful. Why the moon? Well, because there's no atmosphere or water there that could come in contact with our imaginary calcium tower. Either of those touch it and the calcium instantly sizzles and corrodes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eNo worries though. Our sample here is stored in argon to keep that delicate luster alive for all eternity. Well, as \"eternal\" as the cube don't get broke, that is! ;-)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis offering is for one ampoule containing a piece of 99.99% pure calcium metal embedded in a 50x50mm block of crystal clear Lucite acrylic. Hand cast in the USA.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806017011877,"sku":"Ca2x2","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Calcium_4a30c3fe-9e4c-4f9c-8156-1c159d119e63.webp?v=1778165191"},{"product_id":"arsenic-50mm-lucite-cube-as2x2","title":"Arsenic 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eMention \"arsenic\" and the first thing that comes to most people's minds is some sort of medieval poison. That's all thanks to arsenic trioxide and the many other compounds it forms, which throughout the ages have been fed to unsuspecting husbands in their soup. After a few weeks of this condiment they would wake up one day to a lethal bout of vomiting and diarrhea.... all the easier to pass off as food poisoning! Regular elemental arsenic is much less notorious. Sometimes it's found in its native state but is typically sold as amorphous gray or black powder. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eGetting shiny arsenic is much more difficult because the element promptly oxidizes in open air. To keep it shiny we must deprive it of every last trace of oxygen. This is accomplished by first putting this arsenic in a big fishtank-like glass box that is filled with a noble gas which will not chemically react with it. With sample inside, each glass ampule is then sealed inside this controlled atmosphere and shipped from the laboratory to the caster who turns it into a proper nerd’s trophy! \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806017044645,"sku":"As2x2","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Arsenic_282_29_c92b3a7c-163b-48e7-9067-b75fa7753632.webp?v=1778165192"},{"product_id":"indium-50mm-lucite-cube-in2x2","title":"Indium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGermanium is named after Germany and francium after France but indium is not named after India. The name was instead inspired from spectroscopy where its discoverer analyzed a sample containing this metal gave off an indigo glow, a beautiful color halfway between blue and purple.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIndium has many uses in electronics and its demand worries project managers who note that the element has no ore deposits anywhere in the world. Instead, the mining of copper, lead and zinc have small amounts of indium mixed in as impurities and it’s here that the world gets it from. Problem is, however, that the growing demand is not being met with more mine openings. Eventually, indium may trade for a much higher price than it does today as a result of that market demand-supply imbalance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHere we have a meaty piece of this exotic metal embedded in a block of Lucite measuring two inches on a side. Purity is 99.995%.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806017962149,"sku":"In2x2","price":90.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Indium_286_29_e2610bbf-22c6-4538-a5b8-053501174fcd.webp?v=1778165201"},{"product_id":"bismuth-50mm-lucite-cube-bi2x2","title":"Bismuth 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMany an element collector started out by coming across these little souvenirs, found in museum gift stores or rock shops. The weird Escher-like formations happen when molten bismuth begins to solidify at an uneven pace along its surfaces. As the surfaces collide they change directions at right angles according to its lattice structure and in so doing create the odd-looking walls and stair steps. The iridescence is due to very thin layers of oxidation and are allowed to occur for purely aesthetic reasons; a little thicker here, a little thinner there, in each case a different color is produced due to light refraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe lab-grown bismuth metal crystal is over 99.99% pure. Sample weighing 15-25g embedded in a 2x2 (50x50mm) block of crystal clear Lucite acrylic. Hand cast in the USA.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806018027685,"sku":"Bi2x2","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Bismuth_285_29_2fecfef4-08c2-41b4-b25e-7a0f86fd349d.webp?v=1778165201"},{"product_id":"dysprosium-50mm-lucite-cube-dy2x2","title":"Dysprosium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eLike the other metals in the rare earths group, dysprosium is usually separated from its kin via time consuming processes that drive up the cost of getting the isolated element. Industrially-sourced dysprosium normally comes in thick plates that are then broken up into smaller pieces. The highest grade of purification however will be fibrous-looking pieces that form as crystals precipitated out of solution - and most would agree this also happens to be the most beautiful version as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eEncased in this gorgeous acrylic presentation piece is about an ounce of this exotic metal. 2x2x2” Lucite hand cast in the USA which will never yellow or haze.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806018191525,"sku":"Dy2x2","price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Dysprosium_283_29_66bab908-1b0e-4062-9a25-74e8746e8273.webp?v=1778165205"},{"product_id":"bromine-50mm-lucite-cube-br2x2","title":"Bromine 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis deep red element is a notoriously obnoxious poison whose fumes reportedly smell like concentrated bleach and whose touch - oh the pain! But confined within its little see-through cage we can admire its hauntingly beautiful ruddy shade without worry. Upon shaking, the heavy liquid briefly coats the inside of the ampule before settling down. You’ll love shaking the cube and looking up at a light to see through it! \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806018420901,"sku":"Br2x2","price":175.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Bromine_5ffa1c30-7158-4d2c-bd67-b8be1d12e04f.webp?v=1778165206"},{"product_id":"mercury-50mm-lucite-cube-hg2x2","title":"Mercury 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eNot too long ago it used to be the case that you could walk into any drugstore and pick a mercury thermometer off the rack for a couple of bucks. Many of these wound up being broken up on purpose by kids who could play with the fun little metal balls that scurried to and fro. But times have changed and mercury is synonymous with poison so a safety conscious world has seen to it that those thermometers share the same historical fate as shoe fitting X-ray scopes and cocaine tonics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut this reputation is in large part undeserved. True, mercury organometallics remain among the most feared of poisons and it's caused terrible environmental damage. But uncombined in its elemental state mercury is fairly inert which means it doesn't do much of anything. And locked up inside an ampule within a chunk of super inert acrylic resin makes it even safer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmbedded ampule contains 30 grams of 99.9% pure mercury.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806018814117,"sku":"Hg2x2","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Mercury_74043c00-6bd6-4c99-9c64-6ae1556b8a1f.webp?v=1778165211"},{"product_id":"potassium-50mm-lucite-cube-k2x2","title":"Potassium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe health conscious will know that potassium is good for the heart and you can get plenty by eating bananas. Not too many people know, or care, that potassium is a silvery \u003cem\u003emetal\u003c\/em\u003e. A good reason for this is that it only stays a metal in the vacuum of space or when surrounded by a noble gas. The slightest trace of oxygen - or most any other element for that matter - quickly reacts with it to form compounds. Even under mineral oil, which is very inert, a piece of potassium will manage to tarnish from trace impurities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePotassium in elemental form is quite difficult to find generally speaking but is an even bigger challenge to get it in ampule form where that delicate mirror finish can be appreciated. This cube guarantees it will stay free of oxides permanently.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806018912421,"sku":"K2x2","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Potassium_282_29_7d9e68b6-acd7-4666-91b8-cf46c1180bb9.webp?v=1778165214"},{"product_id":"barium-50mm-lucite-cube-ba2x2","title":"Barium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIf it means anything at all to most people \"barium\" will most likely trigger unhappy memories of a nurse watching over you while you guzzle down glass after glass of a gross drink that tastes like liquid chalk. This its most popular use is due to the element's being opaque to X-rays. That way all that chalky juice perfectly silhouettes your gut for the doctor to make out what's wrong with your tummy!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pure element itself is very reactive and tough to isolate too. Since it's also a metal with few practical uses this makes it a two-fold problem for collectors. On the one hand being little more than a laboratory curiosity going through the trouble to get the metal is costly and, secondly, its high affinity to combine with other elements presents challenges to keeping it from doing just that. Typically, it's dunked into mineral oil which is cheap and inert enough. Inert enough for a lot of elements; barium not being one of them! In oil the outermost crust will hungrily sniff out every last trace of oxygen to form dulling oxides. The most efficient way to maintain the metallic luster of this metal is to encapsulate it under argon. \u003cem\u003eNothing\u003c\/em\u003e combines with argon!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis acrylic cube contains approximately three grams of very pure barium metal fully free of oxidation. The ampule is permanently sealed in a cast Lucite acrylic cube measuring 5cm to a side.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806019043493,"sku":"Ba2x2","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Barium_dc43962c-228a-4987-908d-e65894b67103.webp?v=1778165217"},{"product_id":"hydrogen-50mm-lucite-cube-h2x2","title":"Hydrogen 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eLook up at the night sky with the naked eye or through a telescope and practically everything you will see is hydrogen. Very, very hot hydrogen. You could call it the universe's MVP because wherever you have stuff this, the smallest atom, is bound to be nearby.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere on earth though hydrogen is practically nonexistent in gas form. That's because it either floats up out of the atmosphere or grabs on to the nearest atom it can find. We've trapped a few gajillion of these wayward atoms for you and put them in this attractive cube that sits at the tippity top of the periodic table.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806019502245,"sku":"H2x2","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Hydrogen_ee993f2e-b12b-4164-b76f-0084a0ea7a8c.webp?v=1778165225"},{"product_id":"helium-50mm-lucite-cube-he2x2","title":"Helium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf it wasn't for the recent spate of evil clown sightings the Clown Association of America would be feeling a little less on edge now that Tanzania has recently reported discovering vast deposits of helium. Up until recently dire warnings about the scarcity of helium reserves were pushing the price of this commodity up in step with the angst felt by those who depend on its supply. This houseword gas became notorious after the Heidenburg zep blew up way back in 1936. Germany didn't have helium and the U.S. didn't want to sell the Nazis a key strategic resource so they had to make do with all-too-flammable hydrogen. Scorched to metal bracing in a matter of seconds, it was the first and most dramatic tragedy to be caught live on camera. That was the end of the zeppelin age. And all that helium? Yeah, it ended up being put to use puffing up latex poodles at birthday parties for the next few decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe helium atom is so small that it seeps through the tightest rubber webbing which explains why those Get Well Soon balloons sag down after a couple of days. But the wily helium atoms are no match for glass and a couple inches' worth of acrylic. Far into the future the little pocket of helium in this ampule may still lay trapped within this 50mm cube.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen ionized, helium shows a pale gray glow discharge.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806019666085,"sku":"He2x2","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Helium_301610f8-3f69-463b-887e-0142f98092bd.webp?v=1778165226"},{"product_id":"gadolinium-50mm-lucite-cube-gd2x2","title":"Gadolinium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eGadolinium is a member of the so-called Rare Earth metals family of elements; a section of the periodic table comprising elements which are very similar chemically to one another. In nature, they're all found mixed together in a cocktail that is ungodly difficult to tease apart into their pure state which explains to some degree why metallurgists often don't bother messing with them. While remarkably unremarkable so far, gadolinium's prospects of breaking out into fame and fortune brightened considerably when it was discovered that the metal makes for an ideal ingredient in magnetic refrigerators. Yes, some day the old noisy compressor fridge in your kitchen might be replaced with one that runs on whisper-quiet, environmentally friendly gadolinium!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn the meantime why not become an early adopter of this presently obscure but soon to be famous metal? In the middle of this 5cm Lucite acrylic cube is suspended a very generous sized chunk of ultra pure (99.95%) gadolinium in a wonderfully textured rock-like shape.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806019731621,"sku":"Gd2x2","price":90.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Gadolinium_282_29_4b718ff9-4e18-4e67-98b6-bf2923d68124.webp?v=1778165227"},{"product_id":"germanium-50mm-lucite-cube-ge2x2","title":"Germanium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis element resides in the periodic table boundary dividing metals and non-metals. Often called metalloids, germanium shares with the former its unmistakably metallic luster but, unlike a soda can or a pair of scissors, if you drop it on the floor it’ll shatter into a million particles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGermanium also happens to be fairly rare. A bucketful of earth chemically separated into its constituent elements and then split into a million equal portions will yield one tiny speck of pure germanium. That rarity explains why, in part, the total annual production is measured in the tens of tons - compare that to the 1.7 billion tons of steel made worldwide!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eToday most of the paltry amount of germanium extracted goes into making specialty glass like fibre optics and infrared lenses. A little less than 1% however is “wasted” in the new in the new industry of making useless trinkets that look cool sitting on a display - ahem!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806020321445,"sku":"Ge2x2","price":130.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Germanium_285_29_3282fd81-56d3-44e0-8814-6ada5b8b576c.webp?v=1778165231"},{"product_id":"silver-50mm-lucite-cube-ag2x2","title":"Silver 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eSilver has been among man's most prized of nature's gifts since antiquity and the allure is easy to understand given its dazzling shade of white. Soft and easy to work with, the metal practically begged to be turned into coins and jewelry and all other manner of treasure to be held and beheld.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite being a precious metal, silver is a rather delicate metal chemically speaking. It slowly tarnishes in air turning black or yellow as everyone who's familiar with grandma's silverware can attest. And yet when freshly cleaned it has an unmatched sparkle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere we capture this sparkle permanently by placing spheres of ultra-pure silver metal sealed in argon gas at the center of this beautifully made cube of Lucite acrylic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806021042341,"sku":"Ag2x2","price":105.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/700_2600_58333173-c6fc-4dc0-8c3b-19907086c129.webp?v=1778165239"},{"product_id":"fermium-50mm-lucite-cube-fm2x2-film","title":"Fermium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eFermium is the only element to have been discovered by rummaging through the leftover fallout of an atomic explosion. Only the merest trace - we're talking trillionths of a gram - were found but it was enough material to confirm the discovery. Since that time a few more trillionths of grams of fermium have been produced in nuclear laboratories for study.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince a picogram's worth of anything is probably impossible to photograph without an electron microscope we'll make do with an image of Fermium's namesake honoree and Nobel laureate, Enrico Fermi.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806021370021,"sku":"Fm2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Fermium_deafa46d-831f-4ef4-a07f-303b8e1788d8.webp?v=1778165243"},{"product_id":"beryllium-50mm-lucite-cube-be2x2-beads","title":"Beryllium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eElement number 4 on the periodic table happens to be the lightest structural metal and it would make for an absolutely fantastic building option if it wasn't so outrageously rare and expensive. To fantasize a bit, it would be possible to make a skyscraper ten times taller than the Empire State if it was made of Be as it is stiffer than steel yet lighter than aluminum. Some 30 years ago a hi-tech firm took the trouble to make a bike frame out of beryllium; a record-holder when it came to weight and stiffness but at the heady sum of $25,000 each (in 1990 dollars) they ended up being little more than a publicity stunt. In any case, imagine what a load-bearing beam for a bridge would cost!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou can now score a sample of this truly exotic metal to decorate your desk or as a representation of the element. Each piece is uniquely shaped and has been selected to highlight the most beautiful textures available. All of it, of course, cast in museum-grade acrylic 5cm to a side that will never yellow or become hazy!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806022287525,"sku":"Be2x2_beads","price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Beryllium_286_29_a39be4bc-7c76-4fc1-aa52-d6805eee25b8.webp?v=1778165251"},{"product_id":"iodine-50mm-lucite-cube-i2x2","title":"Iodine 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eMost of us became familiar with iodine as kids when our cuts and scrapes were treated with brown disinfectant that stained our skin. And today most iodine produced still goes to the medical field. The element is notable for its colorful nature: in the presence of polar solvents like alcohol and water that unmistakable shade of brown comes through while oils, which are non polar, dissolve solid iodine into a bewitching haze of purple. In solid form iodine crystals are blue-black and shiny.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ampule embedded in this acrylic block is filled with 99.8% pure iodine whose small crystals coat the glass walls in all sorts of interesting patterns. Don't like the pattern? Heat it up to 200°F and give it a half hour or so and the iodine will sublimate in a beautiful purple cloud and crystallize in a new way as it cools down!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806022516901,"sku":"I2x2","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Iodine_282_29_4fe51f22-db40-4046-8b36-f69e01174810.webp?v=1778165253"},{"product_id":"carbon-50mm-lucite-cube-c2x2","title":"Carbon 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe element collector has the most choices when it comes to this element. Carbon comes in diamond, graphite, nanotube filaments and the lowly coal briquettes that go into the BBQ. This, the amorphous glassy type is yet another iteration. Nature prepares for us this wonderful to look at specimen as living organic matter decomposes and becomes pressurized over the course of millions of years to strip away nearly everything except the carbon atoms linked together in a giant atomic mishmash.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn undeniably beautiful product, this makes for a compelling collectible as cast into this 5cm Lucite cube.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806022615205,"sku":"C2x2","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/C.webp?v=1778165256"},{"product_id":"hafnium-50mm-lucite-cube-hf2x2","title":"Hafnium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHafnium is rare and expensive primarily because it's so hard to get it separated from zirconium, a sister element that is chemically nearly identical. Although the two are so similar chemically hafnium is much rarer thus adding to the expense. Due to the rarity and difficulty in preparing the purified metal there are few industrial processes that see a need for hafnium, especially considering that zirconium can fill those roles in most cases. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnother big chunk of hafnium! This amazing piece of hafnium defies all attempts at description for shape. It looks like a little meteorite. The texture seems as though inherited from the roiling of its absurdly high melting point frozen in time.  Poetic hyperbole aside, this is how hafnium and most of the rare earth metals look like as sold industrially... a look that will quickly grow on the lucky owner of this Lucite cube!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA massive chunk of this rare and dense metal beautifully suspended at the center of this optically clear cube of crystal clear Lucite acrylic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806022811813,"sku":"Hf2x2","price":275.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Hafnium_283_29.jpg?v=1778165259"},{"product_id":"argon-50mm-lucite-cube-ar2x2","title":"Argon 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe elemental gas argon is actually found in a good portion of the cubes we sell. Whether it needs it or not, pure argon is pumped into the ampules containing various other elements to deprive it from access to air's oxygen. Making up just under 1% of the atmosphere, argon is the 4th most plentiful of gases here on earth after nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Being inert and readily available, argon finds many industrial uses that exploit its antioxidant properties.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere we finally honor the gas with its own ampule to claim a spot among your collection of the elements.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806022844581,"sku":"Ar2x2","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Argon.jpg?v=1778165260"},{"product_id":"americium-50mm-lucite-cube-am2x2-film","title":"Americium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eA tiny speck of Americium dust is at the heart of the common smoke detectors found in every home and business in North America and much of the developed world. This is the only instance of a commercial use for a synthetic element. Despite the absolutely negligible amount used - a gram of americium oxide is enough to make three million such units - the simple fact that a radioactive substance is being sold has caused alarm in the public. The case of a teenager in the early 90's, who was extracting and concentrating the americium from smoke detectors with the aim of making his own nuclear breeder reactor, received international attention. Fortunately, much public debate and education campaigns have in the intervening years diminished the concerns.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile we do sell a limited amount of real americium 241 in other offerings this cube has no trace of the stuff and merely holds a photo of a blob of the metal. It is thus free of any danger whatsoever as well as being much cheaper!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806023237797,"sku":"Am2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Americium_282_29_7b855257-1e42-4fc9-adc2-76f0c4cba0d5.webp?v=1778165266"},{"product_id":"holmium-50mm-lucite-cube-ho2x2","title":"Holmium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis exotic metal is one of the fourteen other metals in the so-called Rare Earths group, none of which play any major role in industry outside of very specialized uses. Each one may have found its niche whether in lasers or as dopants with other elements to impart a desirable property. Holmium's claim to fame is as the Numero Uno among supermagnets beating out fellow Rare Earther neodymium for the title but much less popular due to it needing external activators.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs typically sourced for industrial needs the metal is unfortunately terribly unattractive. The suppliers in China all provide thickened plates that show little variation in color or texture. We have, however, recently been able to find a new supplier providing an exceptionally 99.95% pure version we find much more attractive. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe branchlike bundles known as \u003cem\u003edendrites\u003c\/em\u003e are not due to the aesthetic intentions of the refiner. It is simply how nature decides to rearrange the atoms of the cooling melt according to its lattice structure. Each element (and molecules as well) all possess their own unique pattern. The most immediately obvious is of course water freezing into snowflakes. Another example is bismuth which forms crystals with mesmerizing geometries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith small differences, holmium like the rest of the rare earth series solidifies into tendril-like fibers that can extend several inches if the conditions are right. More typically the lengths reach up to an inch or two.... the perfect size, as it turns out, to place into the confines of a 50mm block of Lucite!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806023368869,"sku":"Ho2x2","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Holmium_283_29_16b8f849-48cd-4f7a-8430-7d68d32b0615.webp?v=1778165268"},{"product_id":"gallium-50mm-lucite-cube-ga2x2","title":"Gallium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eGallium was a relatively unheard of metal until the internet marketed it as a non-toxic alternative to mercury. Now you can get it at mom-and-pop rock shops and if you don't have one near Google's happy to pull up dozens of internet shops that are happy to sell you some. The only downside is that as it melts in your hand gallium smears all over it turning it into a glittery mess. Which asides from wasting a not-so-cheap metal makes for quite a mess. Well, you win some, you lose some!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eIn this version we encapsulate a highly-pretreated glass ampule containing a gram or two of very pure gallium metal. The combination allows for the metal to flow in its molten state from one end to another much as mercury would. Because gallium tends to supercool, that is, it resists freezing at its normal melting point without a nucleation site (usually a foreign body), it should remain liquid at room temperature. If it freezes solid, gentle heating such as leaving it in a sunlit spot for a few minutes, it will melt and the effect can be resumed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806023663781,"sku":"Ga2x2","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Gallium_288_29.webp?v=1778165273"},{"product_id":"cadmium-50mm-lucite-cube-cd2x2","title":"Cadmium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn this cube we feature cadmium at its absolute best. Since it is a minor metal in electronics there is a tiny amount that goes through the process of zone refining like silicon which is especially effective at removing impurities. This cadmium is one of those rare crystals reserved for that purpose but diverted instead into this ornament. At 99.99999% pure, \"seven nines\" is by far the highest grade available and, as a bonus, the slugs show clear signs of crystallization on the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806023729317,"sku":"Cd2x2","price":130.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Cadmium_285_29_de2fe39a-0250-4925-85f5-dd86f0eef0c6.webp?v=1778165275"},{"product_id":"darmstadtium-50mm-lucite-cube-ds2x2-film","title":"Darmstadtium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDarmstadt is a lovely little German city full of culture and neatly kept parks. It also happens to be epicenter of hi-tech research whose alumni end up heading teams at CERN, NASA and similar. Much of the theoretical as well as applied research in the elements that have been discovered in the last twenty years has taken place at, or been in collaboration with, the various labs and other facilities here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLittle wonder then that the single, evanescent atom of element 110 that was discovered in this city in 1994 would eventually be rewarded with naming honors. That poor atom came into being and exploded into a shower of subatomic particles in less than ten seconds!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806024450213,"sku":"Ds2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Darmstadtium.webp?v=1778165275"},{"product_id":"bohrium-50mm-lucite-cube-bh2x2-film","title":"Bohrium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eNiels Bohr was one of the 20th century's most eminent physicists and a close friend and colleague of Einstein. His accolades and contributions to science are much too numerous to list in this brief snippet but suffice to say the honor of being named after an element was unquestionably rightly deserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Russians were the first to synthesize Bohrium atoms back in 1976 but their data was apparently a little too thin on the particulars by the persnickety body of scientists whose judgment is deemed final in these matters. The official title was awarded to a German team who was able to hand in the scribbled equations that won the day a few years later.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806024482981,"sku":"Bh2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Bohrium_6e7eb481-739c-4386-9b03-880597552c97.webp?v=1778165276"},{"product_id":"copernicium-50mm-lucite-cube-cn2x2-film","title":"Copernicium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt first glance it would seem an odd choice to have an element named after a medieval philosopher whose rather modest contribution to the world of science was proposing the heliocentric model of the solar system (which was first proposed several millennia before by Aristarchus). To be fair, Copernicus backed up his model with a good deal of math and lay the groundwork for later astronomers and mathematicians so such an honor is not undeserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOf somewhat less interest is the element itself which was synthesized by smashing a zinc atom against a lead one; a marriage that lasted just a few milliseconds before disintegrating. It was, again, the ever industrious team based out of Darmstadt to whom credit for the discovery went.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806024548517,"sku":"Cn2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Copernicium_9fac8618-6258-4a35-b8b5-39db5d6e5298.webp?v=1778165277"},{"product_id":"iridium-50mm-lucite-cube-ir2x2-1g","title":"Iridium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the better known theories of science is that a giant rock slammed into earth 65 million years ago killing off all the T-rexes (and most everything else). The key part of the puzzle leading to the discovery was finding an unusually high spike of iridium metal on the sediment layer dating to this time period; not just near the impact but \u003cem\u003eeverywhere \u003c\/em\u003eon earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe relevance here is that iridium is so rare that even a slight bump in the expected distribution curve is cause for suspicion that it's of an extraterrestrial origin. Now, we're not talking about a neat silvery layer... this is all in the parts per million and is precisely the reason why that meteorite, which was likely made up mostly of iron and nickel, would not have registered had it not been for that measurably higher trace amount of Ir: the iron and nickel being so common here on earth that it gets lost in the background noise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis piece of iridium came not from outer space but rather deep within our earth's mantle where at some point it concentrated due to its super-high density and a volcano coughed it up to the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComes sealed in Lucite acrylic of optical clarity and makes for one mind-blowing desk ornament!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806024581285,"sku":"Ir2x2_1g","price":590.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Iridium_286_29_b69cb365-3585-4fe7-81f1-cf8676891d99.webp?v=1778165278"},{"product_id":"copper-50mm-lucite-cube-cu2x2","title":"Copper 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eCopper is not the only red element we have but few people would be able to name the rare selenium or the impossibly rare boron red-colored allotropes that also fit the bill (and bromine's more brown than red just to avoid controversy!) The rising cost of this basic commodity has led to entertaining news articles on the troubles (and follies) that small-time criminals take to get some to turn into recyclers for a quick profit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAlready it's rare to find coins dated in this millenium made from pure or nearly pure copper as inflation means the coins end up being worth more as metal than as money.... meaning that the issuing government loses money as people just hoard them or melt them down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eOddly, a niche market in high end audio that proves very controversial sees audiophiles asking for cabling made from copper of the highest purity (so as to reach the highest electrical conductivity). The market, attuned to the needs of this lucrative demographic, has responded by processing copper to unheard of purities reportedly reaching to the ten nines!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHere we offer the much more palatably priced 4N (99.99%) purity. The cut rods are kept forever shiny in glass ampules within these attractive finished acrylic cubes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806024777893,"sku":"Cu2x2","price":75.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Copper_286_29_32a2dbf0-6150-49b5-a3c0-d52fcc87c3e7.webp?v=1778165282"},{"product_id":"hassium-50mm-lucite-cube-hs2x2-film","title":"Hassium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eHassium is named after Hesse, a German state, but the element is named not after its German name but instead its Latin one. I'm sure the faculty was suitably impressed with this bit of cleverness but methinks those German chaps could have been a little more innovative. If they'd run out of dead scientists to honor what about a sweetheart or a pastry? Still, doing as they did it at least provided fans of trivia with a great question: name the only elements named after a country, one of its cities and one of its states (germanium, darmstadtium, hassium).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was back in 1984 that the experiment that gave the element its name took place and gave birth to three baby atoms of Hs; all three of which promptly broke apart in a shower of energy. \u003cem\u003eEt voilà, c'est tout!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806025695397,"sku":"Hs2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Hassium_9f84fb22-9e7e-4f08-ac92-b90c42553c60.webp?v=1778165286"},{"product_id":"flerovium-50mm-lucite-cube-fl2x2-film","title":"Flerovium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp\u003eFlerovium would be the last new element to be discovered in the 20th century. The feat was accomplished by slinging calcium at near light speed towards a target of plutonium. While most of the calcium shot through the target like shotgun pellets through a fence, a handful had head-on collisions with the plutonium. The crash briefly joined the two into a monstrous atom composed of 114 protons and 170-odd neutrons. The resulting conglomeration was, of course, highly unstable and broke apart after just a few seconds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe element is named after Gyorgy Flyorov, a Russian physicist who led Russia's post-WWII effort to make a homegrown atom bomb.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806026219685,"sku":"Fl2x2_film","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Fl2x2_film_a1da6b9e-b945-4f77-aef2-09727e6cb390.webp?v=1778165294"},{"product_id":"gold-50mm-lucite-cube-au2x2","title":"Gold 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eIf in the mind of the public a metal can be associated with a place then there's probably no better known pair than gold and Alaska. After the 19th century California gold rush depleted the richest alluvial deposits of that state fortune seekers didn't have to stay idle for long. Word had spread like fire that far to the north riverbeds were coughing up limitless amounts of gold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eThe second gold rush was on as tens of thousands of people, most with no knowledge of mining and even less of surviving terrain as wild and unknown back then as the dark side of the moon, threw caution to the wind and set off to find their riches. Most came back empty-handed without seeing so much as a pea-sized golden nugget but by then Alaska had become firmly embedded in the world's psyche as a particularly \"goldiferous\" corner of the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eGold-panning in Alaska and Canada's Yukon continues to this day on a much smaller scale. We think we pay homage to this, man's most beloved metal, by encapsulating a little of that state's legendary fruit in acrylic. These naturally pure gold nuggets, each weighing between two and three grams, were bought locally from panners working claims near Skagway, Alaska which formed the heart of the Klondike gold rush and, as such, provide a little more authenticity to the story :-)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806026580133,"sku":"Au2x2","price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Gold_286_29_99750654-352a-4454-8cdf-59adc9ddf8a2.webp?v=1778165297"},{"product_id":"boron-50mm-lucite-cube-b2x2","title":"Boron 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLike spotlit diamonds set against velvet, it is impossible to capture in a photo the sparkles that reflect off these big samples of crystalline boron at the merest shift in angles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBoron is found in many common minerals and its compounds find their way into many household uses like detergent and pesticides. The elemental form, however, is a far more exotic beast few have ever come across. Isolated into an earthy powder, it is sold industrially as an ingredient in the making of many of those products mentioned above. Higher grades of purity are required for use in semiconductors and it is here where the element can grow into large clusters of countless small crystals that aggregate one upon the other. The result is something that superficially looks and feels like a charcoal briquette the kind you’d toss into your barbecue but upon closer inspection seems like some kind of crazy alien jewel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eEach of these cubes contains one such jewel made of very pure boron. Initially dull next to snazzier elements in this colorful section of the periodic table, the crystals will soon invite close inspection of its fascinating and sparkly textures.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806027792549,"sku":"B2x2","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Boron_2810_29_db0ebe18-42a7-4e3c-a5e9-4937a902a687.webp?v=1778165305"},{"product_id":"fluorine-50mm-lucite-cube-f2x2-100","title":"Fluorine 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eOutside of the radioactive elements there aren’t really any “unicorns” when it comes to finding samples of the elements. Sure, some are hideously expensive and others are hazardous or pose some other difficulty in acquiring a good sample of. Fluorine however poses a nearly insurmountable challenge in that it is terrifying reactive. In chemistry those elements which are least reactive - the noble gases - and those which are most reactive are separated by something as seemingly insignificant as a single electron in their configuration shells. Neon, just one over on the periodic table, with a perfectly harmonious ten such electrons, admits no outsiders and is supremely stable just as is. Missing just one such electron, fluorine on the other hand is mortified to be left with such an easily fillable gap. Spare an electron, anyone?!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThus when this gas comes into contact with practically anything else it voraciously grabs whatever electron it can from that donor element and holds on for dear life. Overcoming that natural force to once again leave fluorine in its elementary state thus becomes one of the most challenging tasks a materials engineer could have to deal with. In and of itself that’s a bad enough problem but where other elements after laboriously being isolated will remain in their elemental state without much difficulty afterwards fluorine is another monster entirely. It is so reactive that it can rip apart the famously inert chemical silicon dioxide…. better known of course as glass. For industrial purposes fluorine is therefore stored in specially treated metal dispensers. For decorative purposes, though, what do you do if you want to “see” your sample if that sample can’t be contained in just about any transparent substance?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eThere are two possible solutions. One, which we have been following for a number of years, is to dampen that reactivity down to the point where it will not harm the glass. A mixture of about 30% fluorine to 70% nitrogen (along with specially treated glass) has been found to make a stable presentation ampule which can then be sealed in acrylic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eBut what if you’re a purist (pardon the pun) and want your elemental samples to be as pure as possible? A sensible person could reason that, being a gas, it’s not like you can tell the difference visually. And you’re looking at it through glass and acrylic. Yes, yes, yes. That’s all well and good but still. You want a pure fluorine sample and you want to be able to know that that little bubble in there is the real deal. Well then, this is going to be tough. As shown and described in a process by a supplier to \u003ca target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/theodoregray.com\/PeriodicTable\/Elements\/009\/index.s7.html\"\u003eTheodore Gray\u003c\/a\u003e and his set of elements, it is technically possible even if extremely difficult.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eOur precious few samples of fluorine were made in a lab in Germany. There is a hint of opacity at the towards the sealed end of the ampule caused by errant atoms of who-knows-what released upon heat sealing the tip. If anything, it is testament to the destructive power of this gas. The genius of this particular approach is in designing a sacrificial coating which does not significantly degrade the transparency and which at the same time leaves no residues which may form corrosive byproducts that could eventually compromise the seal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eIt’s up to you to decide whether all this work is worth several times the asking price of the regularly offered fluorine sample when there’s zero obvious differences asides from a slightly bigger ampule. All the same, we’re very very happy to finally offer this element in its pure form!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis item is now discontinued.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806028120229,"sku":"F2x2_100","price":475.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Fluorine_282_29_4956593b-de9f-4c09-9071-44df405615e3.webp?v=1778165310"},{"product_id":"actinium-50mm-lucite-cube-ac2x2","title":"Actinium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eActinium is the fourth rarest naturally occurring element after astatine, francium and polonium. It is found in infinitesimally small quantities in uranium ore. Its most impressive quality might be the intensity of its decay. Ac-227 has a half life of only 21 years making it some \u003cstrong\u003e215 million times more radioactive than depleted uranium\u003c\/strong\u003e. Pool together enough of this material to make it visible, say a milligram or two, and you’d witness the eerie blue glow of Cherenkov radiation. You might also regret the folly of your decision to get so close to admire that little glow because in a few years your body will probably be ravaged with cancer. A thousandth that amount is for sale here - a prudent yet still compelling amount of this exotic and dangerous concoction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe challenge for the amateur enthusiast undertaking this project is not so much in the acquisition of the starting sample. High grade uraninite is easily available on eBay. Concentrating and isolating the fleetingly small amount of actinium from the vast mass of other elements in that chunk of rock - especially the other trace radioactive elements - is far more difficult.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe solid amount of material in this ampule is lead sulfate which is the carrier upon which the small amount of actinium sulfate is deposited. In all, an estimated 0.1 nanogram (some 10 nanocuries) of this metal is scattered about on these dust particles. The screenshot of the spectrometer and software analysis confirms both the presence of the Ac-227 isotope as well as the absence of other radioactive contaminants like thorium and uranium. Note that the energy peak of Th-227 and Ra-223 shown are not contaminants but rather are being created by the breakdown of the actinium itself. These belong to its decay chain which, eventually, ends in a new element; the stable but quite dull isotope of lead Pb-207.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eUnlike most of our other acrylic cubes, this microscopic sample of actinium comes with a relatively short expiration date. Prepared in 2020 the last of its atoms will be torn apart within another century or so. If any of us are still around, we’ll be happy to take the cube back in the year 2100 and give you a fully reinvigorated new sample free of charge ;-)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806028349605,"sku":"Ac2x2","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/0_3aa141a4-ebc1-4f94-904a-49c8fd2d03e5.webp?v=1778165312"},{"product_id":"cobalt-50mm-lucite-cube-co2x2","title":"Cobalt 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eToday this industrial metal finds a primary use in the making of high grade steels as it is harder and much more resistant to corrosion than the iron with which it is alloyed. Before this benefit was exploited cobalt was much better known for its use in lightfast pigments. It is responsible thus for the intense blue glass of the same name and also for “Prussian blue”; a paint which to the relief of 18th century painters was much more affordable than the ground \u003cem\u003elapis lazuli\u003c\/em\u003e that had until then been imported all the way from Afghanistan for this purpose.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eAlthough yet cheaper pigments have in the past century largely relegated cobalt’s use to obscurity this is by no means to be interpreted as also becoming less important. New uses in electronics, particularly in batteries, mean that demand will continue to place a strain on mining output.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn this offering we present globules of ultra pure cobalt metal cast in Lucite resin where they should be able to keep their luster indefinitely.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806028611749,"sku":"Co2x2","price":75.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Cobalt50mm.webp?v=1778165315"},{"product_id":"francium-50mm-lucite-cube-fr2x2","title":"Francium 50mm Lucite Cube","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFrancium is second only to astatine on the periodic table for the title of rarest naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust. The point is somewhat debatable as a number of transuranic elements are theorized to exist in nature in infinitesimally small quantities; perhaps as high up as curium but at least as far as measurable elements goes francium holds the #2 spot behind astatine. How rare is that? Well, it’s been calculated that if you were to put all of Earth’s francium atoms together you’d only have about an ounce of it(!)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMendeleev’s table showed a promising hole at the bottom of the alkali column. It proved to be a popular target for element hunters of the early 20th century. Many scientists predictably went looking for it in ores rich in lithium and other alkalis. It was a logical but ultimately fruitless trail. It wasn’t until 1939 when Marguerite Perey, protege of Marie Curie, correctly identified the merest trace of a signature in preparations of the recently discovered element actinium; itself an extremely rare occurrence in nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn any case, with a half life barely 22 minutes or so, francium’s exceedingly unstable atomic configuration means that putting any appreciable amount together will create so much heat from all those colliding particles that the grouping invariably ignite themselves into incandescence. So, in a very literal sense, it’s impossible to view the element in its metallic state even if we could somehow isolate enough of it in one place to make it visible. Indeed, the only photo taken, a cluster of just 3,000 atoms, appeared under an electron scope as a little star-like figure that had vaporized itself into plasma.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHere we present an - ahem - generous 5 atoms. Not quite near enough the record. Like comparing the outputs of Toyota and handmade Italian supercar. Even less of a distinction in that this modest quantity is spread out over the contents of what looks like a pinch of Himalayan salt; they’re so far apart they’re more like galaxies in the firmament - no real chance of them interacting in unison, let alone heat through friction. Thanks to the work done by Perey, and a number of researchers who came later, we now know that each decaying atom of isotope actinium-227 has a roughly 1% chance of becoming francium-223 for a few minutes before turning into radon, or even the fabled astatine itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe sample is initially prepared from uranium-235 (yes, U235, the atomic-bomb making type!) which was extracted from uraninite. From this ore various chemical steps were used to isolate thorium-231. This in turn breaks down to protactinium-231 before becoming the donor atom actinium-227. Given its comparatively long half life of 22 years, Ac-227 therefore becomes, in human terms at least, a never-ending generator of Fr-223 atoms. By knowing the concentration of actinium present in the sample, confirmed through spectroscopic analysis, as well as the half lives of both isotopes, we can determine when the sample reaches a “steady state” in which as many decaying atoms to elements farther down the chain are at the same time being replenished from the decay of the actinium.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Luciteria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47806028677285,"sku":"Fr2x2","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8833\/6805\/files\/Francium_282_29_f41bf3bf-103c-4aec-afc5-8cf2964def45.webp?v=1778165315"}],"url":"https:\/\/luciteria.com\/collections\/periodic-table.oembed?page=12","provider":"Luciteria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}