/oss/taxonomy/term/3726/all en /oss/article/history-general-science/tryst-amethyst <p>An attractive amethyst geode sits on my desk. Geodes are rocks with an internal cavity that is filled with crystals of a mineral. In the case of amethyst that mineral is quartz, tainted with iron and manganese impurities that colour it an eye-catching purple. The geode has no function except to satisfy my, some would say peculiar, passion for collecting objects that have stories to tell. With “amethyst” the story is about its name, derived from the Greek for “wine” and traces to an ancient belief that wine-coloured crystals can ward off drunkenness.</p> Tue, 23 Feb 2021 22:47:33 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8629 at /oss /oss/article/it-dangerous-store-alcoholic-beverages-decanters-made-lead-crystal <p>Glass is made by heating sand and then allowing it to cool down. Sand, or silicon dioxide, has a highly ordered arrangement of its silicon and oxygen atoms. In other words, it has a well-defined crystal structure. When sand is liquified by heat and then cooled, this ordered arrangement of atoms is lost, resulting in a more random pattern characteristic of a glass.</p> Fri, 08 Mar 2019 17:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7631 at /oss