Passion for crystal: Ho Chi Minh City man curates stunning 3,000-piece collection

A man in Ho Chi Minh City has spent the past decade collecting natural and artificial crystals, amassing an impressive collection.

Nguyen Ba Tuyen's passion for crystals developed when he was a middle schooler after reading about crystalline solids in textbooks. 

In 2014, Tuyen began his journey of collecting crystals across Vietnam, with the first destination being southern Dong Nai Province.  

However, the trip left him empty-handed.

Ten years later, 30-year-old Tuyen now owns a collection of 3,000 different crystal pieces he has gathered from inside and outside Vietnam. 

It also includes pieces he made of salt, MSG, or chemicals.

“Salt and MSG are benign but one should be careful when they work with chemicals because of their properties and toxicity,” Tuyen said, warning of skin irritation.

Tuyen loves sharing his passion to a wider audience as his collection is open for people to visit at his space at the 24AB condominium building in Binh Thanh District.

He has also been invited to conduct astronomy and geology classes at K-12 schools, universities, and community programs in Ho Chi Minh City. During these sessions, he showcases his collection and demonstrates how to make crystals.

"Sharing this collection helps spread passion and inspire students to explore pharmaceutical sciences and geosciences," Tuyen said, expressing his hope.

He occasionally sells his crystals to fellow enthusiasts.

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