The Uses of Quartz

Quartz in the Industrial World

Because of some of the properties of quartz it is used for many things. One of those proerties is that quartz is a very hard substance - harder than a steel file. Also most quartz dosent split eaisily. Glass can't transmit ultraviolet light, but quartz can. Quartz is piezoelectric meaning that when an electrical current passes throught them they vibrate a tiny bit. And when put under pressure quartz can generate a small electric charge by them-self.

It is used for:

special lenses and prisms and quartz-glass tubes for unlamps

laboratory tubes and crucibles

glass that is useful for making precise laboratory experiments

ordinary types of glass

construction work and foundry molds

as a filter for some liquids

sandpapers, whetstones, and scouring powders and in sandblasting

radio, television, and radar

digital watches

Quartz makes up almost all of two vert important building stones. Sandstone is a rock made up of quartz sand held together by a natural cement. Quartzite is a harder rock than sandstone. It is made up of quartz sand held together by a cement as strong as the quartz itself. Lastly the most important building stone, Granite, is about 30% quartz.

Gem Quartz

Besides the industrial uses quartz can be used as jewelry and other gem uses. Crystalline quartz is the most common type of quartz. However, well-developed clear crystals are rare. Clear quartz crystals are called rock crystals. When they are cut as gemstones, they may sparkle as brightly as diamonds.