In article >,
"tandemcap" > wrote:

> The large "rock" was just a visual prop and guessing from the responses, a
> piece of halite.
>
> Any idea on how to get ahold of one of those?
>
> How do I grow a rock crystal to the size of a baseball, (my expectations
> have shrunk)
>
> Thanks
>
> fm

Probably not in time for mother's day...
but you can grow rock crystal the same way you can "grow" sugar rock
candy. (which, BTW, I'd recommend more as a mothers day gift than rock
salt!)

Heat some water on the stove. If the water is hot, you can dissolve more
salt into it than into cold water. You want to make a super-saturated
solution.

Dissolve as much salt as you can into it when it's simmering. When the
salt stops dissolving, stop adding it.

Take a piece of cotton string and dip it into the heated salt water,
then put it aside to dry.

Once your salt solution has cooled a bit, empty it into a widemouth
quart jar. punch a single hole in the lid, tie a knot in the dry, salt
soaked string and string it thru the hole so it will be dangling into
the jar. Put the lid on the jar with the string hanging into the middle
of the salt water.

Close the lid loosley so the water can evaporate slowly. Place the jar
in a cool cupboard and just wait.

Making sugar rock candy is done the same way, except (duh), you use
sugar instead of salt.
--
K.