Provenite

About Rose quartz

SiO₂

Two different materials share the name. Massive rose quartz is coloured by microscopic fibres, about 0.1 to 0.5 micrometres wide, of a pink phase related to dumortierite; the pink arises from Fe-Ti charge transfer, and some material shows six-rayed asterism. Rare euhedral pink quartz instead owes its colour to irradiation-induced aluminium and phosphorus colour centres and has no such fibres. Natural irradiation can add a grey or smoky tint to massive material. Synthetic pink quartz has been grown hydrothermally since the 1990s.

Show 8 localities on the map

Photos of Rose quartz

Glassy rose quartz crystals on a large, sharply terminated smoky quartz crystal from Berilo Branco, 8.5 cm across.
Rose quartz · Berilo Branco claim
Glassy rose quartz crystals on a large, sharply terminated smoky quartz crystal from Berilo Branco, 8.5 cm across.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Rose quartz cluster of two generations, slender pale spires above stouter vivid pink crystals, from the Ilha claim, 4.5 cm.
Rose quartz · Ilha claim (Lavra da Ilha)
Rose quartz cluster of two generations, slender pale spires above stouter vivid pink crystals, from the Ilha claim, 4.5 cm.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Thumbnail rose quartz scepter on quartz from a 2009 pocket at Mount Mica Quarry, 2.3 cm.
Rose quartz · Mount Mica Quarry
Thumbnail rose quartz scepter on quartz from a 2009 pocket at Mount Mica Quarry, 2.3 cm.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Rose quartz with smoky quartz from the Dara-i-Pech pegmatite field, Afghanistan, 5.0 cm.
Rose quartz · Darra-i-Pech pegmatite field
Rose quartz with smoky quartz from the Dara-i-Pech pegmatite field, Afghanistan, 5.0 cm.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

Where Rose quartz is found (8)

Afghanistan

Brazil

Canada

Madagascar

United States

Identity

Variety of
Quartz
Also called
Pink quartz (euhedral crystals); Rosaquarz (German)
Strunz
4.DA.05 · 4 Oxides and hydroxides
IMA status
Variety
Name origin
Descriptive colour name; the German term for pink quartz is Rosaquarz.
Elements
Si, O

Physical properties

Color
Pale pink to deep rose-red
Luster
Vitreous luster
Transparency
Translucent
Mohs hardness
7
Density
2.65–2.66 g/cm³
Cleavage / fracture
Cleavage rarely observable and poor on {10-11}, {01-11} and {10-10}; rhombohedral parting; fracture conchoidal

Crystallography

Crystal system
Trigonal
Space group
P3₁21 or P3₂21
Typical habit
Usually massive, anhedral, hazy translucent grain aggregates (the lapidary type); well-formed hexagonal crystals ('pink quartz') are rare and form late in pegmatite pockets, often overgrowing smoky quartz
Twinning
Very common: Dauphiné and Brazil penetration twins, Japan contact twins
Optical data
Uniaxial (+); omega = 1.544, epsilon = 1.553

Formation and use

Formation
Massive rose quartz typically forms in the core zones of pegmatites together with feldspar, colourless quartz, mica and often tourmaline; it also occurs in at least one non-pegmatitic quartz vein. Euhedral pink quartz crystallises late in open pegmatite pockets.
Uses
Cut and polished for carving, beads and jewellery; beads about 7,000 years old are known. Euhedral pink quartz is a collector's mineral.
Stability and care
Massive rose quartz keeps its colour to roughly 500-575 degrees C and is generally stable in UV light, although a few specimens reportedly fade in daylight. Euhedral pink quartz is much more sensitive: it pales around 200 degrees C, and one natural specimen bleached completely within 10 hours of UV exposure, so keep it in the dark. Reports on fading of massive material conflict, so avoid prolonged strong light.

Related minerals

Related minerals
Quartzsmoky quartzamethystcitrinedumortierite (fibrous inclusions)
Can be confused with
Pale amethyst (separate free crystals by dichroism: pink quartz shifts from paler to more intense pink, amethyst from bluish to reddish)synthetic pink quartz (tabular shape, colour bands parallel to the basal faces)large 'rose quartz blocks' sold online are likely pink travertine

Sources

  1. SRC-084 · Book
    Handbook of Mineralogy - QuartzAnthony, J.W.; Bideaux, R.A.; Bladh, K.W.; Nichols, M.C. · 2001 · Mineralogical Society of America / Mineral Data Publishing
  2. SRC-085 · Database
    Quartz (Mindat.org mineral page)Mindat.org / Hudson Institute of Mineralogy
  3. SRC-123 · Database
    Rose Quartz: Mineral information, data and localitiesMindat.org contributors · Mindat.org
  4. SRC-124 · Article
    Fibrous nanoinclusions in massive rose quartz: The origin of rose colorationGoreva, J.S.; Ma, C.; Rossman, G.R. · 2001 · American Mineralogist 86(4), 466-472
  5. SRC-125 · Article
    Rose Quartz: Journey Into the Nano-JungleFox, K.E.; McDonald, A.M. · 2023 · 37th International Gemmological Conference (IGC), Tokyo
  6. SRC-148 · Article
    Global Mining Review and Potentially Economic Deposits - Rose QuartzKrassmann, T. · 2022 · Mineral & Exploration, Bad Windsheim
  7. SRC-153 · Article
    Russian Synthetic Pink QuartzBalitsky, V.S.; Makhina, I.B.; Mar'in, A.A.; Fritsch, E.; McClure, S.F.; DeGhionno, D.; Koivula, J.I.; Shigley, J.E. · 1998 · Gems & Gemology 34(1), Spring 1998

Draft data from the Provenite workbook. Check entries against the cited sources before relying on them. Photos are open-licence images from Wikimedia Commons; the author and licence are given with each photo.