What is it and where is it formed?  Quartz is the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust.  Quartz is in sandstones, granites, and other igneous rocks. It forms veins in the cracks of rocks.  There is a lot of heat and water where they form. Crystals are made when the quartz cools down. The way the crystal looks depends on how hot it was when it was formed.  Quartz is a part of almost any kind of rock—igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.  It can be found in layers or geodes, too.  Geodes are hollow rocks that are lined with crystals.

How and where is it mined? Quartz is mined by surface mining most of the time.  A backhoe is used to take away the dirt and rock that is covering the vein.  Only large mines own and use heavy equipment all the time.  The miners might blast with explosives but they will use the littlest amount that will get the job done.  They don’t want to take a chance of ruining the quartz with the blast.  When the quartz vein is uncovered, everything slows down so that the heavy equipment won’t ruin the minerals.  They will work by hand with a pick and shovel once they can see the quartz.  They might use chisels, pry bars, and dentist tools to get the quartz out without wrecking it.  If it is damaged at all, it might not sell for as much money.  The quartz is taken out, wrapped in newspaper, and put in some kind of box or pail until it can be taken away to be cleaned.  Quartz is mined in:  Brazil and the U.S.A. [Arkansas].

What is it used for?  Quartz is used in radios, as crystal gems, sandpaper, soap, prisms, glass, paints, clocks, watches, and computers.  It is used for radar, radios, and TVs because it conducts electricity.

It has oxygen and silicon in it.