quartz

/kwɔrts/

/kwɔts/

Other forms: quartzes

Quartz is a mineral that's usually clear or white, but is sometimes tinted a translucent color. It's common for quartz to be part of other rocks, and often you can see its stripes cutting through smooth beach stones.

Quartz is very hard and shiny, and it's also quite common. There are many different types of quartz, and the rarest ones are considered semi-precious gemstones, like citrine and amethyst. This is the quartz that's used to make jewelry. Its chemical name is silicon dioxide, and it has a crystal structure. Quartz comes from the German Quarz, "rock crystal."

Definitions of quartz

1. noun

   a hard glossy mineral consisting of silicon dioxide in crystal form; present in most rocks (especially sandstone and granite); yellow sand is quartz with iron oxide impurities
   types:

   quartz crystal

   a thin plate or small rod of quartz cut along certain lines and ground so that it can produce an electric signal at a constant frequency; used in crystal oscillators

   rock crystal, transparent quartz

   a clear quartz used in making electronic and optical equipment

   cairngorm, smoky quartz

   a smoky yellow or brown quartz

   amethyst

   a transparent purple variety of quartz; used as a gemstone

   calcedony, chalcedony

   a milky or greyish translucent to transparent quartz

   citrine

   semiprecious yellow quartz resembling topaz

   rose quartz

   a translucent rose-red variety of quartz used for ornaments

   aventurine, sunstone

   a translucent quartz spangled with bits of mica or other minerals

   common topaz, false topaz, topaz

   a yellow quartz

   rhinestone

   an imitation jewel made from crystal, glass, or paste, especially one intended to look like a diamond

   agate

   an impure form of quartz consisting of banded chalcedony; used as a gemstone and for making mortars and pestles

   bloodstone, heliotrope

   green chalcedony with red spots that resemble blood

   carnelian, cornelian

   a translucent red or orange variety of chalcedony

   chrysoprase

   a green variety of chalcedony valued as a gemstone

   goldstone

   aventurine spangled densely with fine gold-colored particles

   onyx

   a chalcedony with alternating black and white bands; used in making cameos

   plasma

   a green slightly translucent variety of chalcedony used as a gemstone

   sard, sardine, sardius

   a deep orange-red variety of chalcedony

   type of:

   mineral

   solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition
2. noun

   colorless glass made of almost pure silica
   synonyms: crystal, lechatelierite, quartz glass, vitreous silica

   type of:

   natural glass

   magma of any composition that cooled very rapidly