ABC Wednesday - Q is for Quartz

  Q is for Quartz............





Milky quartz is the mineral that is in the surface of this large boulder. Most think of quartz as a clear crystal or a mass of smaller ones jutting out of a rock in a display. It is the second most abundant mineral on the earth, feldspar is the first. Several varieties of this mineral are semi-precious stones - the pretty purple amethyst is the most well known. When the Milky Quartz was formed, minute particles of gas and liquid were trapped when the crystal was forming, and they caused it to become cloudy. The quartz above was in a granite boulder. We have tons of them around here - after all, our state is known as "The Granite State" for a reason!




This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.