| Symbol | SiO₂ |
|---|
This is a short overview — for the full history, value over time and notable mines, see Silica Sand →
A very pure quartz sand, nearly free of the iron that discolours ordinary sand, prized for glassmaking, foundry moulds and refractory silica brick. The finest grades were sold as silver sand. Worked in Britain in the Bedfordshire beds around Leighton Buzzard, in pocket deposits and small mines across the Surrey Weald and at Alum Bay, and underground at Lochaline in Morvern.
| Mine | Region | Worked |
|---|---|---|
| Alum Bay Sand and Copperas Workings | Isle of Wight | 1561–No reliable date for the end of extraction has been located. |
| Double Arches Pit | Bedfordshire | 1916–1985 |
| Leighton Buzzard Sand Quarries | Bedfordshire | By 1851, after centuries of small-scale working–Sand traffic moved to road transport by the late 1960s-1981 |
| Lochaline Mine | Highland | 1940–Closed 2008; reopened 2012, still active |
| Penwyllt Quarry | Powys | c. 1820–Brickworks 1937 or 1939; quarrying continues nearby |
| Reigate Caves | Surrey | 18th century or earlier; Tunnel Road mines after 1823–early 20th century |
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