· by microtopico.bsky.social ·1d ago · view on bsky.app ↗

All gems in the image below are quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO2). It's one of the most common minerals on the Earth's surface. The different colors are due to minor inhomogeneities. If you want to learn more about #minerals: #MinCup 2026 will start on Sep, 1st. www.mineralcup.org ⚒️👩‍🔬🧪🔬

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Different kinds of gem quality quartz in white, rose, orange and violet.

#geology #mincup #minerals

2 comments — live from bluesky

AlwaysImBack · 1 · 1d ago

O.G. Duddy · 2 · 1d ago

Quartz is a favourite mineral because when I was a teenager I read The Time Machine and H.G. Wells wrote that quartz was a key component in the machine. A few years later at college I learned about piezo electric effect, and we started using quartz components in timing circuits.