Rough up your quartz surface before painting.
Quartz is one of the most abundant and widely distributed minerals found on Earth, according to the Geological Society of America. It is found in many colors and each can be buffed to a glossy glass finish for use in jewelry or decorations. Although quartz has a slippery surface, you can paint it much in the same way you can paint glass. Does this Spark an idea?
Identification
Because of their luster and color, quartz stones such as diamond quartz and rose quartz are polished and cut into various shapes for use as gemstones or glass. Quartz is often incorporated into jewelry and decorative items such as vases, doorknobs and tabletops. Since the natural finish of each quartz stone after buffing is desired, most people opt to leave the stone as is. However, some may choose to paint over the quartz for a different finish.
Preparing the Surface
Before applying paint to your quartz, clean your surface. Wash the quartz gently with a sponge and warm, soapy water. If your quartz has glue or oil on it, use a solvent cloth to wash it off and wash it again in warm, soapy water. Since stone is slippery, it may be difficult for the paint to stick, so you'll need to create a rougher surface by painting over the quartz with water-based varnish. Once the varnish dries, paint over the quartz with another layer. Use glass-etching cream to wipe over the varnished quartz, which will give it a frosted feel.
Using Paint
Before applying your desired color, use a base coat or neutral-colored paint over the surface. This will keep the final color as close to the original shade as possible. Allow the base coat to dry before applying acrylic paint, spray paint or quartz paint. Quartz paint is a long-lasting finish used on porous surfaces. It's non-fading and contains ethanol-resistant mineral pigments. Before using quartz paint, prep the quartz with quartz primer. Quartz primer allows the paint to go on smooth and absorb better.
Considerations
Before preparing to paint your quartz, check the surface for scratches or dents. If you find them, fill them in with acrylic glue. Allow the glue to dry, then remove any excess glue with a razor blade. Remove any excess glue, but be careful not to scratch the surrounding surface. If you only want to paint this area, use an epoxy resin roughly the same color as the quartz instead of acrylic glue.
Tags: your quartz, over quartz, paint over, quartz with, acrylic glue, base coat, color quartz
