Japan remained both the leading producer and consumer of cultured quartz crystal because of its lower cost per unit and its prominence as a producer of electronic components in which these crystals are used. Specially grown cultured seed crystals have nearly replaced natural seed in most domestic operations. The Former Soviet Union and China are major producers, also. Very small quantities of Brazilian natural quartz are used as seed for growing cultured quartz and for a few direct applications such as deep-well pressure transducers. Limited resources of quartz crystal suitable for direct electronic or optical use are available throughout the world.
Quartz crystal is the best material for frequency-control oscillators.
Other materials, such as dipotassium tartrate, are usable only in specific applications as oscillators and frequency filters. NA Not available.