What Is the Difference Between Quartz & Bentonite?

Identification

• Quartz is a semi-precious gemstone that is sometimes called silica. It is the "most common mineral found on the surface of the Earth," according to mindat.org. Quartz is often a component of other rocks and stones. It naturally comes in a variety of colors, including clear and white. Bentonite, on the other hand, is a clay that is generated from volcanic ash. It is made up of smectite minerals--mainly Montmorillonite.

Appearance

• Quartz is a semi-precious gemstone that comes in a variety of colors. These different forms of quartz have different names. Clear quartz is usually a clear to lightly-colored whitish quartz. "Agate, jasper, onyx, carnelian, chalcedony," and "crystalline gem varieties," like "amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, smoky quartz, etc.," are also forms of quartz according to the Mineral Information Institute. Bentonite is a pale-green to pale-brown looking dust. When mixed with water, the clay clumps and makes a thick paste.

Function

• According to the Mineral Information Institute, the piezoelectric qualities that quartz has naturally make the gemstone useful for "pressure gauges, oscillators, resonators, and wave stabilizers," and " heat-ray lamps, prisms, and spectrographic lenses." It is also "used in the manufacture of glass, paints, abrasives, refractories, and precision instruments." Bentonite has many uses including, beauty treatments, cat litter, civil engineering and construction purposes, makeup, animal food, varnishes, paint and paper.