Silica dust is a real hazard, and it is easy to underestimate as a beginner

Cutting, grinding, or polishing quartz bearing rock dry throws fine silica dust into the air, and repeated unprotected exposure over time is a genuine health risk linked to silicosis, a serious and irreversible lung condition. This is not an exaggerated warning, it is the reason essentially every commercial lapidary saw and grinder is designed to run with a water drip directly onto the cutting or grinding surface. The water controls heat, which protects the stone, and it controls dust, which protects you, at the same time. If you are ever doing dry work on rock, breaking rough material with a hammer outdoors for example, wear a proper rated dust mask, not just a thin paper one, work in open air rather than an enclosed space, and wash your hands and any exposed skin afterward. This is one of the few genuinely non negotiable safety habits in the hobby.