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The Rock Professor has provided you with a mineral
information card. Print on stock paper, and cut out
to enhance your rock and mineral products.
To print: with your cursor, highlight the entire card below,
right click and select print, then click on "selection" and print.
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THE ROCK PROFESSOR
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QUARTZ
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Of all the minerals, quartz is closest to a pure chemical compound and has constant physical properties. Crystals are often terminated by a hexagonal pyramid. Quartz is the most common rock-forming mineral on the planet. It is extremely resistant to weathering. It breaks down into sand grains which often form sedimentary rocks.
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Cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz include agates and jaspers. Colored varieties of quartz include AMETHYST, CITRINE, AMETRINE, ROSE QUARTZ, SMOKY QUARTZ and milky quartz.
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Chemistry: Silicon Dioxide ♦ Family: quartz ♦ Transparency: transparent to translucent ♦ Luster: vitreous ♦ Crystal system: hexagonal ♦ Moh's hardness: 7 ♦ Color: colorless or white ♦ Localities: Found in abundance worldwide, notably Arkansas and Brazil.
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