Rose Quartz

Rose quartz is a form of quartz primarily distinguished by its pink colour.

Quartz is the common name for the crystal form of silicon dioxide, whose chemical formula is SiO₂. Rose quartz is a very popular crystal and one of the most well-known forms of quartz. It is especially common in the crystal collections of people interested in energy work, healing such as especially crystal healing and work with chakras, and "New Age" pursuits generally.

Rose quartz is usually mined in masses, granular structures, or large blocks. Natural crystals of rose quartz are rarer but also available and very beautiful. When they do occur naturally crystals of rose quartz tend to be small and in the form of clusters.

Rose quartz is widely available commercially in many forms including as rough pieces, polished shapes such as wands, massage points, spheres and ornamental carvings, tumble stones, and also in the form of pendants and other items of crystal jewellery.

Structures of Rose Quartz

Quartz (including rose quartz) is formed according to trigonal crystal symmetry. This system of crystal symmetry consists of one vertical axis of symmetry and three-horizonal axes of symmetry, all of the horizonal axes being of the same length.

Quartz crystals, including those of rose quartz, usually take the form of six-sided prisms whose faces may be striated at right-angles to the length of the crystals.

The pink-red shades of rose quartz are due to the presence of the metal titanium (Ti) as "impurities" in the sturucture of the quartz (silicon dioxide). This is the same way in which many forms of quartz are coloured - the particular colour being due to the type and concentration of the "impurity" present in addition to the silicon and oxygen atoms that form the main quartz structure.

Distinguishing features

How to tell if a crystal is rose quartz - as opposed to other similar materials - all of the following apply to rose quartz:

• Distinguishing features of quartz (including rose quartz in its crystal form) include:
  • Hardness = 7
  • Conchoidal fracture
• Colour in a wide range of shades of pink from only subtly pink-white through to 'bright' 'girly' pink

Associations of Rose Quartz

Rose quartz has many interesting metaphysical characteristics.
These include:

• Cool, calming energy used to release negativity and replace it with gentle self-appreciation.
• Known as "stone of gentle love", especially associated with peace and calm
  (for more about this see Melody, "Love is in the Earth; A Kaleidoscope of Crystals"; Earth-Love Publishing House).
• Uses in crystal healing and for crystal reiki, such as:
  • Energy / chakra balancing
  • To work with the emotional body and with healing emotional wounds
  • Especially associated with the heart chakra
• Uses for creating and enhancing loving environments - such as to calm and sweeten nurturing areas within the home.
• Also has uses to minimise any negativity and help to maintain ones personal loving energies even in working environments such as offices and factories. May aid the dissolution of stresses and tensions.

Colours of Rose Quartz

Transparency:
Rose quartz is a semi-transparent crystal. It is rarely highly transparent in its natural state, but thin polished pieces can appear so. Conversely, some samples of rose quartz can appear to be almost opaque and/or appear to transmit a slightly orange glow when illuminated from behind.

Colour:
The shades of rose quartz vary according to the concentration of titanium in the silicon dioxide structure, the form of the structure (natural crystal or granular mass), and the post-mining processing such as state of cleanliness and smoothness of polishing.

Further examples of the appearance of rose quartz are shown below.