In Minecraft, Quartz blocks are used as decoration, and can be mined using any pick axe, but have you ever wondered about the real life stone, and asked yourself, ‘What is quartz, and what is it used for?’ Time to find out!
Nether Quartz is abundant in Minecraft, but did you know that the real life quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s continental crust? Beaten only by feldspur!
Where Can I Find Quartz?
Quarz is formed from the two most commonly found elements in the earth’s crust – silicon and oxygen, so it isn’t hard to find. The video above will help you recognise quartz when you find it.
What Does Quartz Look Like?
Quartz can be found in many countries, and occurs in many different colours.
Rose quartz comes mainly from Brazil. It is, as the name suggests pale pink to rose red in colour. (Photo credit)
Citrine are pale yellow to smokey brown in colour, and natural citrine is quite rare. Often amethyst is heated to look like citrine. The name is derived from Latin citrina which means “yellow” and is also the origin of the word “citron.”
Brazil is the leading source of citrine. (Photo Credit)
Amethysts are to be found in Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Russia, France, Namibia and Morocco. They are bright to dark or dull purple.The Greeks believed amethyst could prevent people from getting drunk, while medieval European soldiers wore amethyst amulets as protection in battle, believing that amethysts heal people and keep them cool-headed! (Photo Credit)
Smoky quartz is a grey, translucent variety of quartz. The very dark brown to black smoky quartz is sometimes called morion. Faceted brown smoky quartz is also known as Cairngorm, from the Scottish highland mountain range. It is also found in Brazil, USA, Ukraine and Switzerland.
The name quartz comes from the Saxon word querklufterz which meant cross vein ore.
What is Quartz Used For?
Quartz can produce electricity when placed under mechanical stress. This is called peizoelectricity. Quartz crystals are used in watches, to regulate the mechanical movement, which makes the timepieces very accurate. It is also used in radios, microprocessors and a range of other technological and industrial applications.
Historical records show that people have been using quartz as jewellery and decoration for at least 4000 years. Tools and weapons were made from quartz long before it was used for decoration!
