Quartz Crystals

Quartz Crystals form or grow from the earth’s second most abundant mineral found on the planet, Silicon Oxide (SiO2). Crystals are typically six-sided or “hexagonal” and are terminated by a hexagonal pyramid. However, they can take on other various shapes and sizes. Quartz has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 and is light with a specific gravity of
2.57 to 2.64.

The United States, Brazil, Peru, Madagascar, and the Himalayas are just a few of the countries where mining of beautiful and stunning quartz crystals occur. Some of the most beautiful come from the United States mined near Mt. Ida, Arkansas to include many areas such as Norman, Caddo Gap, Oden, Story, and Montgomery counties.

The many differing formations and coloring’s give these semi-precious stones their attraction. The finest of these crystals, prized for their clarity, are collected and used for making jewelry.

Quartz crystals can polarize light making them useful in making prisms. They also have piezoelectric properties which allow them to vibrate or oscillate, making them useful in electrical and electronic applications. The making of glass, abrasives, paints, refractors, and precision instruments are some of the other uses for quartz.