@MineralCup@mastodon.social Don't dismiss quartz!!! It is a tribute to the special tectonics of our unique planet. We think it's common because it's common on Earth's continents, where we live. And it resists chemical breakdown by weathering, forming sand and sandstones on and around the continents. Quartz is actually rare. It just happens to coincide with where we live. The recycling + wet melting tectonics of our planet make quartz-rich continents: like Life, a precious & special feature of our Earth. 😊🌍