Rose Quartz | Properties and Meaning

What is Rose Quartz?

Rose Quartz is a pink variety of the mineral quartz which can be found in several countries around the world but surprisingly it's one of the less common colours in which quartz occurs.  It rarely forms individual crystals and is mostly found as a translucent mass of intergrown crystals, this type of formation is referred to as "massive".  With that said there is a pink coloured quartz which does form crystals but it's generally believed that pink quartz as it's correctly known, is a variety of quartz in its own right.  Apart from being quite rare it forms in a different environment, its colour is extremely sensitive to light and the cause of its colour is believed to be from the presence of aluminium and phosphorus.

The Pink in Rose Quartz

The colour of rose quartz is quite unique and has been a subject of great debate for many years but scientists are still not entirely certain what causes its pink colour.  The most popular theory is the presence of microscopic fibrous inclusions related to the mineral dumortierite.  During tests when these inclusions were separated from the quartz they were found to exhibit exactly the same colour hence it's believed they are likely to be the cause.

Rose Quartz as a Lapidary Material

Rose quartz is used primarily for lapidary purposes but despite being translucent, stones tend to be shaped as cabochons because when faceted they turn slightly cloudy.  Beads that were found in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) date back to 7000 BC. and rose quartz is also believed to have been used by the Assyrians in 800 - 600 BC.  Although also used by the Romans, it was mainly for making seals.

Rose Quartz for Crystal Healing

In crystal healing rose quartz is considered to be the ultimate stone of love and peace and it's one of the most important crystals for the healing of the heart.  It's a romantic stone which attracts love and is a great emotional healer.  It's a relatively hard material which grades 7 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness.  Although most of the world's supply comes from Brazil, it can also be found in Madagascar, India, Germany and the USA.

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Further Reading

Information from Wikipedia
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