Rose Quartz

Soft pink in color, rose quartz is the variety of quartz whose blush-to-raspberry hue is attributed to microscopic fibers of dumortierite or to trace amounts of titanium and manganese. It has been valued as an emblem of love and beauty since at least 7000 BCE in Mesopotamia and remains among the most widely used gems for jewelry and carved decorative objects. Brazil, Madagascar, and South Africa are its principal sources. With a Mohs hardness of 7, rose quartz is durable enough for daily wear, and it is sometimes recognized as a January birthstone. Fully transparent material is scarce, so the stone is most often cut as beads, cabochons, and ornamental carvings.

Physical & Optical Properties

Category Semi-Precious Gems

Mohs Hardness 7,0

Specific Gravity 2,65

Refractive Index 1,544 – 1,553

Crystal System Trigonal

Cleavage None

Fracture Conchoidal

Color various

Birefringence 0,009

Pleochroism Weak: pink - pale pink

Mohs Hardness

Mohs hardness of Rose Quartz shown against the ten reference minerals, from talc (1) to diamond (10).

Mohs	Reference mineral	Rose Quartz
1	Talc
2	Gypsum
3	Calcite
4	Fluorite
5	Apatite
6	Orthoclase
7	Quartz	●
8	Topaz
9	Corundum
10	Diamond

Crystal System

Value & Market

Price Tier Moderate ($50-500/ct)

Where to Buy Rose Quartz

Blue Nile Fine jewelry retailer

James Allen Gemstone jewelry

Brilliant Earth Ethically sourced gems

Amazon Wide selection

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Cultural Significance

Birthstone Month 1 (alternative)

About Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is a delicately pink variety of quartz, whose soft hue ranges from pale blush to deep raspberry and is attributed to microscopic inclusions of dumortierite fibers or trace amounts of titanium and manganese. It has been cherished as a symbol of love and beauty since at least 7000 BCE in Mesopotamia and remains one of the most popular gemstones globally for jewelry and decorative objects. Brazil, Madagascar, and South Africa are major sources of this universally beloved stone.