Rose quartz, heart-shaped cut. Photo by Ra’ike. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.
A popular variety of colored quartz, rose quartz makes a durable jewelry stone. Although commonly cabbed and carved, more transparent material can also be faceted.
The International Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.
Although quartz is one of the most common minerals on Earth, natural rose quartz is one of the rarer colored varieties of crystalline quartz. Still, it’s not an expensive gemstone. The most coveted colors are pure to purplish pink. These colors are hard to find with transparent clarity, instead showing a milky look.
Rose quartz commonly has light tones, so gems with medium tones may command higher prices. Larger gem sizes may also show more intense or saturated colors.
For more information on quality factors for rose quartz, consult our crystalline quartz buying guide.
Rose quartz oval pendant, 2¼” x 1”, with antiqued copper bail. Photo © Adornments by Mae. Used with permission.
| Data | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Rose Quartz |
| Is a Variety of | Quartz |
| Crystallography | Hexagonal (trigonal) |
| Refractive Index | 1.544-1.553 |
| Colors | Light to medium pink, sometimes with a violet shade, also orangish pink, purplish pink, and (rarely) rose red. |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Polish Luster | Vitreous |
| Fracture Luster | Vitreous |
| Hardness | 7 |
| Wearability | Very Good |
| Fracture | Conchoidal to uneven, granular in aggregates. |
| Specific Gravity | 2.651 |
| Birefringence | 0.009 |
| Cleavage | None |
| Dispersion | 0.013 |
| Luminescence | Inert to weak, purple, SW only. X-rays produce faint blue glow. |
| Luminescence Present | Yes |
| Luminescence Type | Fluorescent, UV-Short, X-ray Colors |
| Enhancements | Usually none. So-called “pink quartz” may turn strawberry red after laboratory irradiation. |
| Typical Treatments | Irradiation |
| Transparency | Transparent to opaque. |
| Absorption Spectrum | Not diagnostic |
| Phenomena | Asterism, Tyndall scattering. |
| Formula | SiO2 (quartz) |
| Pleochroism | Weak to strong, different shades of pink. |
| Optics | o = 1.544; e = 1.553. Uniaxial (+). |
| Optic Sign | Uniaxial + |
| Etymology | Named after its color. |
| Occurrence | Primarily found in pegmatites, also hydrothermal veins. |
Rose quartz. Photo by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.
Rose quartzes are quartzes that show a light to medium pink color. These gems receive their coloring from fibrous inclusions of a mineral similar to dumortierite. Sometimes, amethyst (the purple variety of quartz) may influence rose quartzes and give them a violet or purplish shade.
Rose quartz has a hardness of 7 and no cleavage, which make it an excellent choice for any type of jewelry use. This quartz variety has long been known as an opaque to translucent gem material. Indeed, it remains a popular choice for spheres, beads, decorative objects, and other types of carvings as well as cabochons.
Vase, rose quartz, China, Qing Dynasty, 18th century, 14.9 x 10.8 cm x 9.2 cm. Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Public Domain.
In the 1980s, transparent material was discovered in Madagascar. As a result, faceted rose quartzes entered the jewelry stone market.
Emerald-cut rose quartz, 73.69 cts, 28.5 x 22.0 mm, Madagascar. © ARK Rare Gems. Used with permission.
With romantic associations due to its color as well as good durability, rose quartzes can make beautiful and affordable engagement ring stones. Rose quartzes are also considered gemstone options for 2nd and 5th wedding anniversary gifts.
Floral ring in 14k white gold with a checkerboard rose quartz center stone and black onyx accents. Photo © CustomMade. Used with permission.
Rose quartzes cut as gems seldom show transparency, especially above 20-30 carats. Large spheres will appear milky at best.
Asterism, or the “star stone” effect, occurs rarely in quartz but is especially striking in rose quartzes. Since these gems may contain microscopic inclusions of rutile needles, cabs can sometimes show a six-rayed star when properly cut. Some cabs may display chatoyancy, a “cat’s eye” effect.
Star rose quartz. Photo by andytang20. Licensed under CC By 2.0. (Photo cropped).
Rose quartzes may also display another phenomenal effect, Tyndall scattering, which occurs very rarely in gemstones. Fine particles of the appropriate size suspended in a medium can make light appear blue. While dust in the air makes the daytime sky blue, inclusions in some rose quartzes can turn all or part of the gem blue, when light strikes at the proper angle. This rare effect appears relatively frequently in Madagascar material.
Rose quartz may share its color with some other very popular gemstones, but its specific gravity (2.651) and refractive index range (1.544-1.553) can help readily distinguish it from pink varieties of sapphire, spinel, tourmaline, and topaz, as well as the more rarely encountered kunzite.
Be aware that rose quartzes are sometimes sold under the misleading names of “American Ruby” or “Bohemian Ruby.” Of course, quartz and ruby (corundum) are distinct gem species.
Although rose quartzes receive their pink color from inclusions, researchers have discovered another rarer type of pink quartz that gets its color through a different process. Natural irradiation causes color centers based on aluminum (Al) or phosphorus (P) to replace silicon (Si) in the quartz atom lattice.
Although this quartz is still called “rose quartz,” some researchers have suggested naming it “pink quartz” to distinguish it from the more commonly encountered rose quartz, since it demonstrates some different physical and optical properties. Pink quartzes occur in euhedral or regular, distinct crystal shapes with well-formed faces, whereas rose quartzes occur in anhedral or irregular, intergrown crystal shapes with less distinct faces. Pink quartz may also show greater transparency.
Most significantly for jewelry use or display, pink quartzes have significant sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light. They can lose their color rapidly under exposure. Irradiation can restore the color.
In contrast, the more common rose quartzes don’t have this sensitivity.
The crystal specimen in this rough and cut set features transparent, well-formed hexagonal shapes. It may belong to the rarer variety some refer to as “pink quartz.” The faceted gem, on the other hand, has the milky appearance more typical of rose quartz. Crystal, 4.6 x 2.7 x 2.3 cm, Sapucaia Mine, Galileia, Minas Gerais, Brazil; trilliant-cut gem, 6.40 cts, Madagascar. © Rob Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.
Many varieties of quartz can be synthesized in labs. Rose quartzes (more specifically, “pink quartzes”) have been created by adding Al or P to synthetic quartzes and subjecting them to gamma radiation.
Rose quartzes typically receive no treatments or enhancements. However, terminated crystals of rose quartz from Ganga Rosa, near Minas Gerais, Brazil, may turn strawberry red when irradiated. (Most other rose quartzes will turn yellow if irradiated). These quartzes may be the euhedral “pink quartz” variety.
Rose quartz occurs in many locations across the globe. Brazil and Madagascar are the main sources of gem material. (Brazil also produces “pink quartz”).
Other notable gem-quality sources include the following:
Quartz crystals, rose quartz on smoky quartz. 5.0 x 3.5 x 2.8 cm, Darra-i-Pech Pegmatite Field, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. © Rob Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.
Unlike most other colored crystalline quartz varieties, rose quartz doesn’t form large, facetable rough. Transparent gems rarely exceed 30 carats, although translucent specimens can weigh several pounds.
The Smithsonian Institution holds a sphere of Brazilian star rose quartz that weighs 615 carats.
Since rose quartzes often contains inclusions, refrain from cleaning these gems with mechanical systems. Instead, use warm water, detergent, and a soft brush.
Reserve any jewelry made from the euhedral “pink quartz” variety for evening or occasional wear only. Store it in darkness, away from sunlight or other UV light sources, to preserve its color.
For more care recommendations, consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide.
Rustic, nature-inspired bridal set in brushed platinum with leaf-and-branch detailing and a bezel-set rose quartz cabochon with an organic shape. Photo © CustomMade. Used with permission.
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