This exhibition, 'A Look Through Quartz,' presented 188 elements across nine display cases and ten panels to explore the fascinating mineral quartz. It detailed its natural forms, occurrence in various rocks, crystalline structures, and diverse colors, including gem varieties like rock crystal, amethyst, agate, and jasper.
The temporary exhibition 'Una mirada a través del cuarzo' (A Look Through Quartz) was inaugurated on December 21, 2012, at the Museo Geominero (Geological and Mining Institute of Spain). It featured 188 items distributed across nine display cases and ten informational panels. The exhibition aimed to introduce visitors to the crystalline world of quartz, explaining its abundance, nature, and common occurrences in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It highlighted the difficulty in identifying quartz due to its variable appearance and focused on three key properties: morphology, size, and color of crystals. The display included macrocrystalline varieties like rock crystal and smoky quartz, as well as microcrystalline types such as agate and jasper. It also showcased spectacular gems derived from quartz, like amethyst and agate, alongside their raw materials. The exhibition traced the use of quartz from primitive tools, noting the skill in crafting with its conchoidal fracture, to modern technological applications leveraging properties like piezoelectricity. Finally, it addressed the historical and contemporary association of quartz with spiritual and magical beliefs, clarifying that these are scientifically unfounded.