Crystal Growth Technician

Though hopefully it won’t come as a surprise, it’s time you knew crystals aren’t made by fairies, goblins, or any other mystical creature. Instead, they’re made by Crystal Growth Technicians.

Crystals are used in science experiments and research labs all over the country. Crystal Growth Technicians can work on site at one of these labs, or they can be employed by the lab’s supplier. Either way, your job as a Crystal Growth Technician is to combine the necessary chemicals and heat them to a high temperature to come up with a shiny, quality product.

You start by measuring out the correct amount of chemicals needed to make the type of crystal ordered. Things like size, shape, and type matter when you’re pouring and mixing your chemical cocktail. Once you’re done blending, you place the mixture in a furnace, which can get as hot as 1,300 degrees Celsius. Then you wait a specified amount of time before pulling the crystals out to cool.

You inspect the final product, and when you deem it satisfactory, you enter the number into a computer system. This number goes into the company’s inventory, and alerts the client that their order is ready.

Safety is big in this job. You need to wear not only a mask to avoid breathing in toxic fumes, but also protective heat gear when working around the furnace. This is one of those jobs that require you to lift heavy things often and pay close attention to detail so you don’t injure yourself while working.