Lucite Cube // Phosphorus

Here's a non-metallic and naughty little element. Phosphorus has been a staple of industry since the 1800s when it was found to be just the right ingredient for starting fires— thus beginning the phasing out of cumbersome flint-and-tinder methods of firestarting. However, in those early days it was the white, and not red, allotrope that was used. White phosphorus is not only self-igniting but also extremely toxic. So, following large public scandals, the world slowly turned to the much less toxic red kind. To this day, a brick of red phosphorus can be seen on the side of matchbooks.

Although considerably more expensive than the normally offered red type, Luciteria stays on the good side of the Feds by selling a different form of the element— the so-called “violet” form of phosphorus. Also named “Hittorf’s phosphorus”, this type was discovered in the 19th century by the eponymous chemist who derived it from the red by heating in a vacuum.

A gram of this exotic element sits as purplish crumbles inside a glass ampule which is itself suspended inside a perfectly made Lucite acrylic cube.