Rose Quartz Gemstone Information

Introduction

Rose Quartz is one of the most popular gemstones at the moment. A delicate to medium pink member of the quartz family, available in large sizes, in various shapes and all at very reasonable prices.

Not only does it look beautiful but it has a long heritage stretching back to the very dawn of civilization when man first began to adorn himself with colored gemstones. Beads of Rose Quartz have been found in archaeological sites dated to nearly 7,000 years BCE.

With a fine history and good looks, Rose Quartz completes the triumvirate with a renowned and powerful spirituality that is the envy of most gemstones. Linked for millennia with matters of the heart, it is the go to gemstone for anything concerned with love.

Rose Quartz gemstones range in color from a delicate light pink up to a deeper cotton candy pink. They are usually opaque or translucent so the pink color often has a milky appearance and are generally evenly colored throughout.

The cause of the color is still not fully understood. It was originally thought that the presence of impurities such as aluminum or titanium brought on the pink color but recent studies suggest tiny fibrous inclusions within the gemstone not only give it the soft pink coloring but also the cloudy look.

Rose Quartz, like Citrine, Amethyst, Smoky Quartz and many others is a type of macrocrystalline quartz. They all have a similar crystal make-up and are differentiated by their color – citrine is yellow, amethyst is purple and Rose Quartz is pink.

There is really only one species of Rose Quartz but there are a couple of variations:

There is a type of Rose Quartz with rutile or silky inclusions which are aligned in such a way as to reflect light in a 4 or 6 rayed star shape and are therefore known as

Star Rose Quartz

If the reflection is just a single band resembling an eye, we call them

Cat’s Eye Rose Quartz

A similar rose colored Quartz gemstone is

Pink Quartz

Rose Quartz gemstones are nearly always opaque or translucent at best. As a result they are more often than not cut into cabochons – a smooth rounded shape with a flat bottom.

Some clear or nearly transparent examples can be cut into beautiful faceted cut gemstones or can be carved into interesting shapes such as animals or leaves.

The Chakras are seven points located around the body which can affect physical and emotional well being. Each Chakra point has an associated color and usually the color of a gemstone will connect it to the similar color Chakra point – Amethyst for Crown Chakra, Citrine for Sacral Chakra and so on.

Rose Quartz is pink but it has always been linked to the Heart Chakra. If you have found yourself thinking about past relationships, unable to trust anyone, lacking confidence when meeting people or struggling with commitment then you may have a blocked Heart Chakra.

Rose Quartz will unblock your Heart Chakra letting you open your heart to new relationships, friendships and allowing you to move on with your life.

Rose Quartz is an attractive but inexpensive gemstone in colors that range from very light pink to a medium pink. In general the deeper pink colors will get the better prices but this is all a matter of personal preference and prices will not differ too much.

Rose Quartz is available in some very large sizes – well over 100 carats in some cases – but still at a reasonable price. This allows Rose Quartz to be used by artisan jewelry makers as an economical alternative to more expensive gemstones such as Kunzite or Morganite.

Rose Quartz is one of the most historic of mankind’s gemstones with evidence of beads being used for nearly 10,000 years by ancient empires such as the Assyrian, Egyptian, Roman and Greek who also made amulets, talismans, seals and ornamental objects.

Many legends have grown up around this highly spiritual gemstone.

The Egyptian Goddess of wisdom and magic, Isis, used Rose Quartz to maintain her fabled beauty and clear complexion (spas still offer Rose Quartz based treatments to this day).

A Greek myth has it that Rose Quartz was created when the blood of the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and her mortal lover, Adonis, both injured by a jealous god of war, Ares, mingled and dripped onto some simple white quartz. It turned pink and became a symbol of everlasting love.

The Romans believed Cupid brought Rose Quartz to earth from the heavens to bring romance and love to humans.

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on earth and although Rose Quartz of gemstone quality is considerably more rare it can be found in many parts of the world.

Brazil, South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar, India and Sri Lanka provide the bulk of Rose Quartz gemstones. South Dakota in the US used to produce some very nice examples but that source seems to be coming to an end.

Rose Quartz is usually found in pegmatite which is a type of igneous rock formed by slowly cooled magma.

Within this pegmatite cracks and gaps are filled with liquids and gases which over a long period of time crystallize into gemstones. In the case of Rose Quartz the surrounding minerals have prevented large smooth crystals to form and so we have cloudy small grained crystals instead of the large clear crystals found in Citrine and Amethyst or other famous quartz examples.

In addition there are thin rutile inclusions, which were present during formation, that give the Rose Quartz its distinctive pale pink color and milky translucent appearance.

Typically, Rose Quartz is not treated in any way to enhance its looks other than the usual cutting and polishing of the rough gemstone.

The ‘pink quartz’ variety, which is very similar, can be irradiated to boost its pink coloring but this color can fade if exposed to the sun or naturally after a long period of time, so be wary.

At GemSelect we will always inform you if any of our gemstones have had any treatments.

All quartz is rated at about 7 on the Mohs hardness scale so Rose Quartz is durable enough to be used in all types of jewelry.

See our detailed article on the Mohs hardness scale here

In addition, it is readily available in large carat sizes at very reasonable prices so it is ideal for experimental pieces or for artisan jewelry makers who want to create interesting items.

If you are a jewelry making hobbyist, Rose Quartz makes a perfect entry level gemstone. Not only can you find pieces large enough to work with easily but it will not become too expensive if things go awry.

For normal maintenance, just clean your Rose Quartz with warm soapy water and gently wipe dry and that should be enough to keep it at its best.

For storage, remember that Rose Quartz is quite a tough gemstone (rated at a touch over 7 on the Mohs hardness scale) so do not keep with other gemstones that may be softer and risk being damaged.

Similarly a few gemstones such as ruby, sapphire, beryl and so on are a bit harder and may scratch your Rose Quartz.

We always suggest putting your gemstones in separate boxes or soft cloth bags when not wearing or displaying them.

Rose Quartz is not a very expensive gemstone so it is not often the victim of subterfuge but the best way to ensure you are getting what you pay for is to buy from a reputable and long standing source (somebody like us at GemSelect!)

Rose Quartz can look a bit like Kunzite, Morganite or even Tourmaline but these gemstones are generally more valuable so I would be more concerned of getting stung the other way round – if you know what I mean.

Synthetic Rose Quartz exists but not commonly and glass versions are spotted now and again. If your prospective gemstone contains bubbles it is not a real Rose Quartz.

Rose Quartz is a delicate pink gemstone, quite subtle in color so anything bright or garish will definitely suggest a dyed quartz.

Before buying a Rose Quartz gemstone, familiarize yourself with its appearance, look at the shades of pink it comes in, either in pictures or in a gem store.

This has not been a comprehensive guide on how to make sure your Rose Quartz gemstone is completely genuine but I hope it helps a little.

At GemSelect, we currently offer brief identification reports from your choice of two well-respected independent gemological laboratories, The Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) and Burapha Gemological Laboratory (BGL Lab).

Certain gemstones show a distinct or dramatic change in color depending on the light source. This is a very rare occurrence and Rose Quartz is NOT one of the few gemstones that show this phenomenon.

With its long history, powerful spirituality and soft pink coloring what is not to love about this wonderful gemstone? The smooth texture, almost creamy pink color and obvious positive vibration will draw you in.

Add to this its availability in impressive sizes at very reasonable prices and you have a very attractive object.

The Love Stone, the Heart Stone, the Stone of Universal Love, revered by cultures from east to west, ancient and modern, as soon as you take Rose Quartz in your hands you will understand why it has always been one mankind’s most popular gemstones.