Media advisory: Judging for national crystal-growing competition returns to UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The crystals are ready for their close-ups.

News media are invited to watch scientists gather Saturday (Jan. 18) at the University at Buffalo to examine over 170 crystals submitted by K-12 students and teachers from across the country for the 11th annual U.S. Crystal Growing Competition.

This will be the first time judging has taken place at UB since 2023, as it took place at Georgetown University last year. 

Participants grew their crystals in their homes and classrooms this past fall using aluminum potassium sulfate, a nontoxic compound used in water purification. Judges will now score these entries on size and quality, with cash prizes of up to $200 awarded to the most impressive crystals. 

The “Coolest Crystal” category returns this year, which in past years has inspired vibrantly colored crystals grown with dyes and even a glow-in-the-dark creation.

“The judges take their work very seriously, scientifically scrutinizing every crystal’s shape and size, but we also have plenty of fun. We’ve judged everything from a crystal grown around a cicada shell to a crystal-studded Infinity Gauntlet,” says Jason Benedict, PhD, professor of chemistry in the UB College of Arts and Sciences and interim director of the UB Hauptman-Woodward Research Institute. 

Benedict founded the competition in 2014 to provide kids with a fun science experiment while also helping the public better understand how crucial crystals are to modern science. 

“Crystals are everywhere in our daily lives, from the salt on our tables to the snowflakes that frequently blanket Buffalo this time of year. But crystalizing a material also allows scientists to uncover its atomic structure, advancing everything from medicine to superconductors,” Benedict says. “This competition is a fun way to introduce students to crystallography and chemistry while engaging in a hands-on STEM activity.”

What: Judging of crystals submitted for the 11th annual U.S. Crystal Growing Competition.

When: Saturday, Jan. 18, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Where: Natural Sciences Complex, Room 306, on UB’s North Campus.

Visuals: Judges, including faculty members from UB and other universities, will examine over 170 crystals placed in paper or plastic cups labeled with entry numbers. 

See more photos from the last time judging took place at UB: https://ubphoto.smugmug.com/Years/2023/230010-CAS-Chem-Jason-Benedict-Crystal-Contest-judging-NSC/i-5Jqtf2j

Who: Benedict will open the judging with a brief talk about how the crystals should be rated. He will then be available for interviews.

Judges represent the UB departments of chemistry, physics and geology, the University at Buffalo Hauptman-Woodward Research Institute, the University of New Mexico, Georgetown University, Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School, and Frederick Law Olmsted School 64.

Sponsors: The American Crystallographic Association; the National Science Foundation; VWR and Ward’s Science; the UB Department of Chemistry; Georgetown University Department of Chemistry; the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry; the University of Central Florida Department of Chemistry; the University of New Mexico Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology; the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering; the Western New York section of the American Chemical Society; Rigaku; and individuals who have made donations.