Quartz mining?

Question

My question for homework reads as the following:

What are the origins of Quartz deposits?

What does that mean?

I cant find any answers on the internet.

Can you please help me?

Answer 1

That is a hard question to answer, It depends on what kind of deposit you are talking about.  

If you are talking about Crystals, they are sedimentary, the silica is dissolved in water as it percolates through mafic rock, then the dissolved silica is deposited when the water reaches a surface and is able to sit long enough for the silica to crystallize.

Most of the continental crust has a high silica content and rock quartz is just an igneous body.  

Granit, Sandstone, and even Limestone (among many otheres) can all contain Quartz, but in the end its origins like most minerals is igneous.

Answer 2

Some deposits are water related such as geothermal. Maybe you can look up MT. Ida Arkansas near Hot Springs. There is a crystal mine there you can go to. It's called "Coleman's" Other than that try Rock & Gem magazine on the net. Good luck