The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-03-13
QUARTZ.
Some of the Various Forms it
AsSumes-HOW it NAY be
Detected-Its Uses.

There is considerable doubt whether
the diamond can be produced arti-
foialIy, although it was publicly an
lrounced as having been decided in
the affirmative by Professor Msskelyn,
of the British Museum. This doubt
has arisen from there having been
two different accounts published re-
Gently, and it is not yet settled in the
public mind which is the true one.
| Quartz is entirely different to the dia-
mond; it is chemically the element
silicon combined with oxygen. The
diamond is carbon, the same Isub-
stance as charcoal. Quartz also diff
fers in hardness from the diamond,
also in its capitalization and in optical
properties. When We say quartz,
We mean the oxide of the
element silicon. which is silica.
The terms qualtz and silica are thus
synonymous. The word quartz is an
old one, probably OF German origin.
Its crystalization is hexAgOnal, gen.
orally in slender, six-sided prisms ter
minated by a six-siGed pyramid.
Quartz assumes 6 multitude OF forms,
even in its capitalization. Sometimes
the crystals are short and doubly teE-
minated. Prism faces are mostly
striated, giving an idea of basal
plane OF cleavage which it does not
possess in a general way IF quartz
is pure, it is colorless and ia called rock
crystal or lImpid quartz; the same
substance is frequently tinted by
oxides of the metal, yellow, red,
brown, green, blue, violet, black.
When water is combined with it,
these colors are modified and forms
OF milky quartz and opal are
produced. The clear quartz |
CRYSTALS known as Arizona dis
monds, some of which have been |
boueh. by travellers in that country,
are only pure silica, or quartz. The
clear purple or blush quartz found in
Sewer County and in other parts OF
Utah, is amethyst; yellow quartz Is
called false topaz and calrngorm
tone A variety of quartz found in
letlifed trees in our southern settle
nents Is called smoky quartz, it is
colored by carbon. The
milky quartz Is nearly Opaque and
milky II color; sometimes It has q
,reasy lustrs when it is called greasy
IuartZ. The catseye, 50 called from
ts form and peculiar opalesCence is
iics with foreign substances enclosed
within il. The moss agate is go called
rom the dendritic or tree-like
markings within it. Cbalcedony is
uartz With a little opal silica within !
J.; it Is sometimes called white :
arneliaD, the red-carnelian (sard) is
uartz colorcd by iron; it is a red
haIcedoDy. Agsts Is allied to
and ia frequently !
,rmed IL bands With jasper, ;
red or brown variety Of quartz. .
his is variegated or banded r
nalcedony. This receives fanciful r
ames es ribbon ag&tss, when dis !
,rted taey become eye agates, forth Q
cation agates. Some OF them are :
allied seer stones (plasma), and there :
re many curious names given from .
opposed qualities they possess. The !,
reen quartz is praze; some kinds, il
hen delicately banded, are highly 9
alued for ornamental uses, as onyx; !,
black and white kind is used for
le same purpose By the lapidary.
he heliotrope is a green and red :
lartz, the red CASPER resembling :
.ood, hence it is frequently called =
oodstone. In the middle ages rings L
isde of this stone commanded a
BOD price, as the red spots were en-
ems of the blood of the Savior and Il
ere supposed TO possess some virtues I
stopping hemorrhage.
Nov the reason every body should
nov the nature of quartz is that
ans and Jewels OF value are
und among the quartz rocks,
I'D all kinds of quartz ara o.
seful for glass making. Glass p
wanted to be made here; We
ave myriads of tons of this silica -
,a6y at hand il we Ike to use it. g
and is frequently silica reduced to =,
ball particles. When such sand is !"
eltsd with an alkali it forms glass. =
AIT cles of carbon will not thus fuse |"
gether with sand, so our youthful q
ineralogists can readily tell how to '
etiDguish the diamond from quartz. y
hen the gems proper, such as the T
by, sapphire and diamond will =
It quartz, not scratch it merely but
-erally cut into it. The ancients knew s;
.ese properties Of minerals; even the
rmer inhabitants of this country
led corundum, kind of ruby for
,ttipg hard diorites and other ex- .
Gently hard rocks. So now We can y
gin to lock up the quartz. fer the
lrpose of utilizing it, and if every
.dy looks after the useful things we
,ssess, By and bye we shall be able ?,
add another important industry to d
ose which are now enriching Us q u
ople.
The student OF geology and miner
ogy will find every fern mentioned
iove in the Museum, in such groups
will convey the clearest idea Of the
lture Of the specimens, and at the Il
me time prove Interesting h
Apropos OF this subject, a gentle ~
an from Lshi yesterday took to the \
.useum specimens of sand, which :
pom Analysis proved TO be an excel =
ut quality of sand for making glass, y
sing readily with the carbonate OF -
da. The reaction showed the \
Of iron and manganese. 1t =
so showed properties that would Z
axe it s good sand for the manu- =
cfrra If eandnener