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The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

quartz

quartz one of the commonest of all rock-forming minerals and one of the most important constituents of the earth's crust. Chemically, it is silicon dioxide, SiO ₂ . It occurs in crystals of the hexagonal system, commonly having the form of a six-sided prism terminating in a six-sided pyramid; the crystals are often distorted and twins are common. Quartz may be transparent, translucent, or opaque; it may be colorless or colored. Varieties are classified as crystalline and cryptocrystalline. Crystalline varieties include ordinary colorless crystallized quartz, or rock crystal; rose quartz; yellow quartz, sometimes used as imitation topaz ; smoky quartz, or cairngorm stone; milk-white milky quartz; aventurine quartz, which contains scales of hematite or mica; and amethyst . Varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz, the crystal structure of which can be seen only under the microscope, if at all, are chalcedony , flint , hornstone, and chert. Colored varieties of chalcedony known by special names are carnelian , sard, chrysoprase, agate , onyx , sardonyx, and jasper . Clastic quartzes are sand and sandstone .

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quartz

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

quartz XVIII. — (M)HG. quar(t)z; of uncert. orig.

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T. F. HOAD. "quartz." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "quartz." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (July 10, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-quartz.html

T. F. HOAD. "quartz." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved July 10, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-quartz.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Magic World: Inclusions in Quartz.(Book Review) Magazine article from: Rocks & Minerals; 9/1/2005
	Solid as a rock: tough, beautiful quartz is gaining ground in the surfacing market.(Kitchen Products) Magazine article from: Building Products; 1/1/2004
	The many mysteries of artichoke quartz from China. Magazine article from: Rocks & Minerals; 3/1/2004

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