What Type Of Rock Is Quartz
What Type of Rock Is Quartz?
Before quartz becomes a worktop, it is a natural mineral. Here is what quartz actually is in geological terms, and how it ends up in your kitchen.
The short answer
A natural mineral
Quartz is a hard, abundant mineral, not a rock type.
It is one of the most common minerals on earth, and one of the hardest.
1
Of earth’s hardest common minerals
93%
Of a worktop slab
Quartz is a mineral, not a rock type. It is one of the most abundant minerals in the crust of the earth and one of the hardest common minerals, made of silicon and oxygen. It is found within many rocks, including granite. For a worktop, natural quartz is crushed and combined with resin and pigment to make an engineered slab. To see how that works, read what quartz is made of and whether quartz is a natural stone.
At a glance
mineralnot rock
What it is
A natural mineral of silicon and oxygen.
veryhard
Key trait
One of the hardest common minerals.
crushedfor worktops
How it is used
Crushed and engineered into slabs.
Quartz as a natural mineral
Quartz is a mineral
Strictly speaking, quartz is a mineral rather than a type of rock. It is made of silicon and oxygen, and it is one of the most abundant minerals in the crust of the earth. It is also one of the hardest common minerals, which is exactly why it is so useful as a worktop material. Our FAQ on what a quartz worktop is picks up the worktop side.
Where quartz is found
Quartz occurs naturally within many rocks, including granite, where it appears alongside other minerals. It is found all over the world, which is part of why it is such a widely used material. In its natural form it can be clear or coloured, depending on trace elements.
From mineral to worktop
For a worktop, natural quartz is crushed into grains, then blended with a small amount of resin and pigment and compacted into a dense slab. This is what makes a quartz worktop an engineered stone: a natural mineral, manufactured into a finished surface. Our FAQ on what quartz is made of covers this process.
Why hardness matters
The natural hardness of quartz is what gives a quartz worktop its durability and scratch resistance. A worktop made largely from such a hard mineral stands up well to daily kitchen use. Our FAQ on whether quartz is scratch resistant explains how this carries through to the finished surface.
Natural mineral, engineered surface
So quartz is best understood as a natural mineral that becomes an engineered surface. It is neither fully natural stone like granite nor a fully synthetic product. Our FAQ on whether quartz is a natural stone explains where it sits, and the Quartz Worktops Bedford page covers getting one fitted.
Key points
Quartz is a mineral
Not a rock type, but a natural mineral.
Very hard and abundant
One of the hardest, most common minerals.
Found within many rocks
Including granite, all over the world.
Crushed for worktops
Engineered into slabs with resin and pigment.
To learn more, read what quartz is made of, what a quartz worktop is and whether quartz is a natural stone. The full Quartz FAQs has more.
From natural mineral to finished worktop
Precious Marble turns quality quartz into finished worktops, fabricated and fitted in-house from Bedford. Tell us about your kitchen for a free quote. 0% interest-free finance is available.
More from the Quartz FAQs
Common questions
What type of rock is quartz?
Is quartz a rock or a mineral?
Where does quartz come from?
How does natural quartz become a worktop?
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