View source for Nova crystal/Legends

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{{Otheruses|Nova crystal}}
{{Substance
|image=[[File:NovaCrystalSWTOR.png]]
|name=Nova crystal
|locations=*[[Mygeeto/Legends|Mygeeto]]<ref name="CSWE">''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''</ref>
*[[Krann]]<ref name="CSWE" />
*[[Cotellier/Legends|Cotellier]]<ref name="CSWE" />
|date=
|discovered=
|creators=
|created=
|type=
|color=*Bluish-white with an inner sparkle<ref name="SWTOR">''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''</ref><ref name="GSWU" />
|properties=*[[Star/Legends|Light]] reactive crystalline matrix<ref name="CSWE" /><ref name="KILO">''{{WEGCite|book=Twin Stars of Kira (West End Games)|text=''Twin Stars of Kira''|story=For a Few Kilotons More}}''</ref>
|uses=*Jewelry<ref name="GSWU">''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe]]''</ref><ref name="SMOKE" />
*[[Photoreceptor/Legends|Photoreceptors]]<ref name="SMOKE">''{{WEGCite|book=Star Wars Gamemaster Handbook|story=Tales of the Smoking Blaster}}''</ref>
*[[Sensor/Legends|Sensors]]<ref name="SMOKE" />
*Optoelectronics<ref name="GSWU" />
|cost=5,000-30,000 [[Credit|credits]] per [[Coruscant Standard Carat|CSC]]<ref name="P&P">''[[Pirates & Privateers]]''</ref>
*Typical crystals range in size from .5-3 carats, with a large stone being around 5 carats.<ref name="P&P" />}}
'''Nova crystals''' were a valuable and highly sought after [[gemstone]], admired for their rarity, beauty, and industrial applications throughout [[The galaxy/Legends|the galaxy]].<ref name="GSWU" /><ref name="KILO" /><ref name="CSWE" />

==Properties==
Nova crystals were bluish-white gemstones that possessed the unusual property of amplifying light,<ref name="SWTOR" /><ref name="GSWU" /> glowing with an inner luminescence as a result,<ref name="CSWE" /> characterized by a glimmering prismatic sparkle.<ref name="KILO" />

Key to the Nova crystal was its unique crystalline matrix; this matrix, when exposed to bright sunlight (especially in the red color band), absorbed heat from ambient light and became excited energetically.<ref name="CSWE" /> This created the Nova crystal's signature glow, which was often bright enough to be its own light source.<ref name="CSWE" /> Mining Nova crystals was risky and dangerous business, however; when removed from its rocky matrix and exposed to temperatures over thirty degrees celsius, a raw nova crystal became increasing unstable and prone to spontaneous reaction to the slightest jarring.<ref name="KILO" /> Such raw crystals were highly explosive,<ref name="KILO" /> and capable of exploding with incredible force,<ref name="CSWE" /> with even a single small flake capable of completely destroying a [[A-A6z Speeder Truck]].<ref name="KILO" /> Raw crystals thus have to be refrigerated for transport,<ref name="KILO" /> where they are then taken to industrial worlds where they can be bonded to inert trace elements that stabilize the crystalline matrices.<ref name="KILO" />

==Applications==
Nova crystals were a valuable gemstone used as currency on the [[Outer Rim Territories/Legends|Outer Rim]],<ref name="SWGB">''[[Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds]]''</ref> and were commonly crafted into valuable jewelry.<ref name="GSWU" /><ref name="SMOKE" /> Additionally, due to their ability to amplify light, Nova crystals had numerous applications in optoelectronics,<ref name="GSWU" /> being used in the construction of [[Photoreceptor/Legends|photoreceptors]] and [[Sensor/Legends|sensors]].<ref name="GSWU" /> Less commonly, raw crystals could be used as explosive devices.

==History==
Nova crystals notably helped bankroll the first [[Death Star/Legends|Death Star]] project for the [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Empire]].<ref name="CSWE" /> The [[Planet/Legends|planet]] [[Mygeeto/Legends|Mygeeto]] held immense deposits of nova crystals, which contributed greatly to its reputation for [[Mineral/Legends|mineral]] wealth.<ref name="CSWE" /> Nova crystals made up the primary industry of the planet [[Cotellier/Legends|Cotellier]], but was remote enough to be harassed by [[Pirate/Legends|pirates]] regularly, and never rose to the fame of [[Mygeeto/Legends|Mygeeto]].<ref name="KILO" /> Sizable Nova crystal deposits were extremely rare, and were significant enough that their discovery had huge economic implications; when Nova crystal veins were found on [[Krann]], the [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]] subjugated the entire planet and enslaved the native [[Kluuzot]] to harvest the crystals.<ref name="KILO" />

==Behind the scenes==
[[File:Novamine.jpg|200px|thumb|right|An example of green Nova crystals in [[Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds]]]]
There seems to be a discrepancy in the color of Nova crystals; Nova crystals were first described as bluish-white with a luminescence in the 1984 [[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe]] first edition, which expanded on the 1979 ''[[Han Solo at Stars' End]]'' (which itself mentioned, but did not describe Nova crystals). This was upheld by [[Twin Stars of Kira (West End Games)|''Twin Stars of Kira'']] 1993, which described Nova crystals as sparkling and prismatic.

It wasn't until 2001 in ''[[Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds]]'' that Nova crystals were portrayed as green; in the game they are found on virtually every world, and are used to fund research for advanced technologies and pay for troops and vehicles. Nova crystals have not been green since this game, excluding a singular special [[Rare Nova Crystal|instance]] in ''[[Star Wars Galaxies]]''. Indeed, the later ''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]'' seems to fix this issue, by showing the Nova crystal as a bluish-white crystal with an inner luminescence, which is in line with the [[Nova crystal|new canon version]].

==Appearances==
*''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''
*[[Darth Plagueis (novel)|''Darth Plagueis'']] {{Mo}}
*[[Darth Plagueis (audiobook)|''Darth Plagueis'' audiobook]] {{Mo}}
*''[[Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Battlefront II]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns]]''
*''[[Han Solo at Stars' End]]'' {{1stm}} {{C|as "nova-crystal"}}
*{{WEGCite|book=Star Wars Gamemaster Handbook|story=Tales of the Smoking Blaster}}
*{{WEGCite|book=Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters|story=Sore Loser}}
*{{SWG|An Empire Divided}}
*{{WEGCite|book=The Far Orbit Project|story=The Grand Prize}} {{Mo}}
*{{WEGCite|book=Twin Stars of Kira (West End Games)|text=''Twin Stars of Kira''|story=For a Few Kilotons More}} {{1st}}

==Sources==
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe]]''
*''[[Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook]]''
*{{Journal|7|The History of R-Series Astromech Droids}} {{C|As "nova-crystal"}}
*''[[Pirates & Privateers]]''
*''[[Alien Encounters]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Prima's Official Strategy Guide]]''
*''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*''[[The Essential Atlas]]''
*''[[Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side]]''
*{{SW|url=news/the-essential-guide-to-warfare-authors-cut-part-6-showdown-at-naboo|text=''Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare'' Author's Cut, Part 6: Showdown at Naboo|int=Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{SWGWiki|Rare Nova Crystal}}

{{Interlang
|es=Cristales Nova
|ru=Нова-кристалл
}}

[[Category:Crystals]]
[[Category:Gemstones]]
[[Category:Currency]]