Silicami™ 60/200

Silicon is the most abundant chemical element on Earth after oxygen (about 28%), but it does not exist in its free form in nature. On the other hand, it is very common, almost always in crystalline form, with a regular three-dimensional structure: its basic structure is a tetrahedron with an oxygen atom at each end and a silicon atom in the middle. It forms compounds such as silicon dioxide (SiO2), which is found in several minerals: - Quartz, by far the most common, offering (in various forms) a wonderful selection of semi-precious stones: rose quartz, citrine quartz (false topaz), amethyst, etc.; the color of the crystals is determined by the presence of various elements (manganese, iron, nickel, etc.), - sand, which was used in ancient times to make glass, - other minerals, such as tridymite, which is rare and poorly developed, or cristobalite, which is even rarer and is found in some igneous rocks where it forms at very high temperatures (for example, obsidian). Silicon also exists in the form of silicates, such as feldspars or clays, in which the SiO2 group is bonded to other atoms (aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, etc.). Silicon is also found in the plant world in the form of silica (horsetail, diatoms, etc.) and in very small amounts in the animal world in the form of organic silicon (especially in connective tissues). The name "flint" comes from the Latin word silex, which means "stone".