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Home Why Quartz Quartz Mirror Blanks 10" - 11" Diameter Custom Orders Contact Us

Why quartz?

Quartz glass is actually fused silica—a very pure glass with an extremely high melting point. Fused silica has been used for decades for research grade telescopes in the 0.5 to 3-meter size range. Quartz, however, has been traditionally far too expensive for the amateur market. Our mission is to bring quartz to the amateur market at an affordable cost.

Quartz is stronger than Pyrex (borosilicate glass), so the mirror blank can be thinner and consequently lighter weight compared to the same aperture Pyrex mirror blank. This also means the mirror cell can potentially be simpler and lighter weight for any given mirror diameter.

Another significant advantage with quartz is the expansion due to thermal absorption is six times less than Pyrex, which has been the gold standard in mirror blanks for years. This means your telescope will be producing sharper images while your neighbor is still trying to cool down and stabilize his mirror.

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