Mukarisk Periodic Table With 83 Real Elements

Instead of printed squares, this periodic table holds 83 actual element samples sealed inside a block of clear acrylic, and a few of them cost more per gram than gold. Hold it up to a window and you can study each sample cell by cell.

The block measures about 8 by 5 by 1 inches and weighs 1.7 pounds, with smooth edges, so it can sit on a desk, stand on a shelf or get passed around without anyone worrying about it. The acrylic is crystal clear, which is the whole point, since the samples are three-dimensional and the fun is in looking at them up close.

It suits the chemical or materials engineer, the science teacher, and anyone who has a periodic table poster from college and wants the grown-up version. It also makes a good conversation piece for an office desk, since it’s the rare periodic table people want to pick up.

The catch: there are no radioactive samples, so some cells sit empty, and a few elements appear as stable compounds rather than in pure form. With 83 samples packed into a block this size, each one is small, so bring good light or a magnifier for the tiniest pieces.