Quartz is a piezoelectric (pee-ay-zo-electric) crystal meaning it releases an electrical current when squeezed, compressed or distorted. Toughness correctly known as tenacity refers to a mineral's resistance to being bent, cracked, chipped or broken. Hardness refers to a mineral's resistance to being scratched by another. Despite being hard it's also brittle so will break or shatter easily. It's therefore often used as an abrasive. Being graded 7 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness makes it harder than many other natural minerals. It was once widely used in electronic components although has now been replaced with a synthetic alternative.Īs well as its electrical properties quartz is also resistant to heat. The optical properties of quartz led to its extensive use in lenses and prisms. Rutile and tourmaline are two of the most common mineral inclusions in quartz. This material is often referred to as included quartz. Inclusions in quartz are relatively common. Coloured varieties tend to be translucent as opposed to transparent and most have their own name. Many different varieties of quartz exist. It can also occur in many different colours from milky white to dark brown verging on black. Quartz occurs in two forms, crystalline which is often abbreviated to crystal and cryptocrystalline which means crystals are too small to be seen with the naked eye.Ĭrystal quartz (or quartz crystal) is colourless and transparent hence the term 'crystal clear'. The term rock crystal can be used to describe the purest type of quartz.

Theophrastus Ancient Greek philosopher and successor to Aristotle believed colourless quartz crystals were a unique type of ice that wouldn't melt. This is possibly because of the clarity of some quartz crystals. In Ancient Greece the mineral quartz was known as 'krustallos' from 'kruos' meaning 'icy cold'. The name quartz comes from the old German word 'quarz' which first appeared in 1530. Found most commonly in nature as the mineral quartz, it exists in several crystalline forms and a number of cryptocrystalline forms. Silicon dioxide is a chemical compound of two of the most abundant elements in Earth's crust, silicon and oxygen. Quartzite which is composed almost completely of the mineral quartz is produced through the metamorphism of sandstone. It can be found in sedimentary rocks as grains of sand and as crystals in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Quartz is the world's most diverse mineral in terms of varieties, colours and forms because of its abundance and widespread distribution.

It has exceptional durability and is the main constituent in all types of sand. It can be found in almost every geological environment and is a component of virtually every rock type. Quartz is the most common mineral in Earth's crust after ice and feldspar. Quartz Crystal, Types of Quartz, Properties and Photos Contents

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