Description

Quartz is the second most common mineral in the Earth’s continental crust.  It is mainly composed of Silica or Silica based minerals.  Although Quartz is known by a variety of names, the most important distinction between types of Quartz is that of macro-crystalline, individual crystals visible to the unaided eye, and micro-crystalline, where aggregates of crystals are only visible under high magnification.  There are many forms of Quartz including Chalcedony, Amethyst, and Citrine.

Rutile is a mineral composed primarily of Titanium Dioxide. Rutile has among the highest refractive indices of any known mineral and also exhibits high dispersion. Rutile is known to contain up to 10% Iron as well as significant amounts of Niobium and Tantalum. Rutile creates small needles within crystals that can be seen when held up to light.