Australian researchers have succeeded in synthesizing zinc crystals in a solution of liquid metal, resembling snow crystals. 

Snowflakes are ice crystals that grow in different shapes, but always with sixfold symmetry. Zinc crystals can grow similarly in a solution of liquid gallium, Australian researchers report in Science. They found a new method for extracting these metallic crystals from the liquid metal, then were able to study the morphology and symmetry of the resulting crystals. At sufficiently high temperatures, metals such as zinc easily dissolve in liquid gallium. When the solution cools again, the zinc crystallizes.