The functioning of society critically depends on the availability of resources. In the process of evolution, human communities moved to higher levels of comfort and safety. However, it also required the corresponding development of science and industry to provide individuals with the necessary tools and create the basis for future growth. As a result, the model of society existing today is a result of continuous development; however, it also requires the availability of numerous resources to guarantee the balance is preserved and all spheres, such as economics, industry, or business, can function effectively. From this perspective, every mineral plays a critical role in supply chains and production. For instance, quartz is the second most abundant mineral on Earth, which can be found in numerous places, meaning there are no significant problems with its supply (King). Nevertheless, it has a high economic value, impact, and the reduction in its quantity would have a severe impact on all spheres of human lives.
Quartz has a critical economic value because of the numerous spheres where it is used. First of all, it has numerous varieties, such as amethyst, citrine, rose, and smoky quartz (Dallas and Uscanga). These are used in jewelry and decorations, which are important sectors of economics nowadays. Moreover, silica sand is critical for creating glass, ceramics, or foundry molds (King). Quartz is also crucial for modern technologies as it is used to create silicon, which is an essential part of modern processors, computers, and microchips (King). In such a way, being one of the most common minerals, quartz has a critically high economic value. It supports the functioning of numerous industries and contributes to the further development of technologies necessary to support the digitalization of the modern world. It is possible to predict that its importance will not decrease in the future because of the high demand for it.
The high economic value of mineral explains why it has a strong economic impact. The diversity of quartz’s applications shows that it is broadly used in almost all spheres. For instance, the discovery of how the mineral can be used in the computer technologies sphere promoted its further evolution and created the basis for the digital revolution (King). Moreover, as a critical part of glass manufacturing, quartz can be considered a core of the modern world, as every house or building has windows or objects made of this product. In such a way, the economic impact of quartz is critical. It is the basic component of most industries existing nowadays and is required for products used in various business spheres. It also supports scientific development, meaning it is critical for stable growth and innovations.
As stated previously, quartz is required for manufacturing numerous products. These include glass, ceramics, metal casting, abrasive sandpaper, sandstone, chips, cement, and bricks. It means that the substantial reduction in the amount of quartz available for industrial use would have a critical impact on these products. First of all, the list of priorities might emerge, meaning that items with lower importance might disappear to save quartz for those more important at the moment. Second, it is possible to predict the critical increase in the price of the products. The demand for them will remain high while the supply will critically reduce. These factors impact the cost of a particular service or product, meaning that the lack of quartz will stimulate the extremely high prices of products containing it. Considering the high economic value and impact of the mineral, global changes in the economic and business spheres will be observed.
A significant scope of the problem in case quartz becomes spare means specific measures might be required to control the situation. First of all, as stated previously, the list of priorities should be created to avoid spending the valuable mineral on things not critical for the survival of communities and their development. Second, it is critical to start looking for alternatives to manage the deficit of the resource and create new ways of producing items that previously required quartz. These steps are vital for addressing the problem and guaranteeing communities can recover and manage all complications that might emerge. Additionally, the ways to extract the mineral from unnecessary objects made of quartz previously should be researched. It would help to manage waste and preserve the balance in the economy.
Altogether, the modern world critically depends on the availability of resources necessary for preserving balance. Quartz is one of the common minerals found in numerous places. Today, its use is not limited, and it is employed to produce glass, computer technologies, microchips, and many other products. As a result, the economic value and impact of quartz are extremely high. The critical reduction in its amounts might lead to increased prices on products made of it. Moreover, it will be critical to find alternatives to replace the mineral and reduce dependence on it. It means that being the second most spread mineral on Earth, quartz is fundamental to the modern economy, industry, and society’s development.
Works Cited
Dallas, Victor and Adrian Uscanga. “Quartz.” Mineral Webpages, Web.
King, Hobart. “Quartz.” Geology.com, Web.