Part of Hall of Planet Earth. There are three kinds of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks form when molten rock (magma or lava) cools and solidifies. Sedimentary rocks originate when particles settle out of water or air, or by precipitation of minerals from water.

You can recognize it by these identifiers:

1. A glassy luster.
2. Hardness 7 on the Mohs scale, scratching ordinary glass and all types of steel.
3. It breaks into curved shards rather than flat-faced cleavage fragments, meaning it exhibits conchoidal fracture.
4. Almost always clear or white.

Often more esthetically pleasing quartz crystals have a higher value than other plain crystals. However, there are places where just a plain, non-cloudy quartz crystal will have much more value. The color of your crystal is based on the environment that the crystal was made in.

Quartz is more valuable when it is completely intact; however, a piece of naturally occurring quartz of unusual color is still worth more and of higher quality than a smooth piece of manufactured plastic or glass designed to imitate quartz.Ordibehesht 5, 1396 AP

Large amethyst geodes can go for thousands. Baseball sized geodes with non-spectacular quartz or calcite crystals can be purchased for $4-$12. Geodes with uncommon minerals that are sold on mineral auction sites range in price from $30-$500. Golf ball sized geodes, uncracked, are sold for about $2 at shows.”

Most Expensive Crystals

1. The Pink Star Diamond – $1,395,761 per carat :
2. Painite – $000 per carat :
3. Musgravite – $35,000 per carat :
4. Jadeite – $20,000 per carat :
5. Alexandrite – $12,000 per carat.
6. Red Beryl – $10,000 per carat.
7. Benitoite – $3000-4000 per carat.
8. Opal – $2355 per carat.

Quartz crystals are harder than glass. Glass ranks around 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Quartz crystals rank as 7 on the Mohs scale. Therefore, a piece of quartz crystal will scratch a piece of glass.Khordad 28, 1397 AP

The surface of a genuine Quartz is resistant to any form of pollution, and thus an easy way to test if it is real or not, is by drawing its surface using a marking pen and then trying to clean the surface. It is easy to clean a genuine Quartz because its surface is stain/pollution resistant.

clear overall appearance, silver or silver/purple color hue, rainbow prism effect when held up to the light, thinner than regular soda-lime glass, and heavier than regular soda-lime glass. In fact, high quality crystal with a lead content over 35% will actually sparkle.Tir 27, 1392 AP

Strawberry Quartz is a gemstone that has a meaning and properties related to love. People believed that it has the power to vitalize the energy of heart around the breast. Strawberry Quartz can receive the love energy from the heaven. It would make you feel calm by filling your mind with love energy.

Strawberry Quartz Facts Strawberry Quartz and Rose Quartz are different although they hold similar colors. The former one is definitely one of the Quartz crystals but it’s rare. Iron Oxide is the contributor of its beautiful, soothing strawberry color. It’s a crystal of generosity and love.

However, you will find that quartz countertops are actually man made and although they consist of 90% quartz, the rest of the countertop is composed of resins, polymers, and various types of pigments. This creates a very durable artificial rock without pores or cracks.Aban 4, 1394 AP

Other possible problems with quartz countertops

• 1 – Heat can damage. It’s best not to expose your quartz countertops to direct heat.
• 2 – Sun can also damage.
• 3 – Seams might surprise.
• 4 – Visible caulk.
• 5 – Miter that doesn’t fit perfectly.

As sleek “engineered stone” countertops grow in popularity, safety experts are warning that workers who handle them are at particularly high risk from an old workplace hazard — silica, the mineral tied to silicosis, a debilitating and potentially deadly lung disease.Farvardin 14, 1395 AP

Is Windex safe for quartz countertops? You can use mild surface spray glass cleaners such as Windex® and mild household cleaners such as Formula 409®. Harsh cleaners with Chlorine bleach should be avoided.Esfand 1, 1396 AP

Quartz and granite contain varying amounts of uranium, thorium, and potassium, which are naturally radioactive. A single study is not definitive, of course, but it does suggest that radon from quartz countertops is an insignificant hazard.Mordad 20, 1390 AP

• Salvaged stone, like granite or slate, and wood are the most sustainable and low-emitting countertop material options.
• Use low-VOC or Greenguard Gold-certified adhesives to install cabinets and countertops, or use mechanical fasteners instead.
• Use water-based, low-VOC finishes and sealers on cabinets and countertops.

Topping the list for healthier countertop materials is lead-free (US-made) ceramic tile, followed by solid surface products such as Corian, then engineered quartz and cultured marble. Plastic laminate and granite fall to the bottom of the ranking.Aban 27, 1395 AP

This countertop offers a brilliant, sustainable alternative to the stagnant commercial material options such as plastic laminate.

• Cambria Non-Porous Stone Surfaces.
• Paperstone.
• Vetrazzo Recycled Glass Countertops.
• Richlite Composite Surface.
• Avonite Studio Collection.
• Strand Bamboo Worktop by Teragren.
• ECO by Cosentino.

Quartz is actually harder than granite and thus, more durable. In fact, quartz is nearly indestructible, and because it isn’t porous like granite, it’s easy to keep your countertops relatively bacteria-free. Be careful with cooking pans though: Quartz can be damaged by excessive heat, so use heating pads at all times.

Common household products like Windex, Clorox Multi-Surface and 3M Glass Cleaner are all safe to use on quartz. After using glass cleaner, wipe the countertops with a cloth or sponge rather than a paper towel to avoid leaving behind tiny fibers.

But Doug Fernandez, a residential homebuilder in San Jose, California since 1985, believes granite is still alive and well. Turns agrees that granite is still in high demand, partly because the available color options have increased substantially since the early 2000s.Dey 11, 1399 AP