Category talk:Quartz varieties

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I think that this contribution would be better termed "Silica Varieties", rather than "Quartz Varieties". If you look at the definition of quartz in Wikipedia, it includes a particular crystal structure, or at least highly related polymorphs. Essentially, "quartz" refers to a crystalline framework with a specific topology/connectivity. Therefore, counting tridymite, cristobalite, stishovite and coesite is wrong as they are all distinct frameworks, with different crystal structures and therefore different mineral names. Similarly flint, petrified wood, opal etc, are not truly crystalline, and therefore should not be included as a "quartz variety". I'd recommend changing the name to "Varieties of Silica". I'd like to haer some other comments.--Octopodes 05:15, 7 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I'd have to agree with you - I created this category back in 2004 as part of the mineral classification project I was doing then and it is a misnomer. Silica varieties seems too chemical, maybe varieties of silica minerals or just silica minerals? Shouldn't be too much of a change as only 42 articles are categorized here and a few of them need recating (quartz porphyry?) Vsmith 05:34, 7 January 2007 (UTC)