The Junior Rockhounds met on September 4th and learned that big crystals need time and space to grow plus a steady supply of exactly the right ingredients. The best crystals are often found in cavities such as geodes. They learned how to grow their own crystals using borax, alum, or Epsom salt. Between Bill Hart, Keith & Sandy Johnson, and myself, we had samples of all of kinds of crystal shapes, structures, and origins. At the meeting, Junior Rockhounds placed a copper wire in a petri dish, added silver nitrate, and a little water. And (viola!) we were growing silver metal crystals! Afterward the fun, some of our Juniors even experimented with the effects of what sun shining through a magnifying glass can do.