How to clean it
Warm soapy water. Fades in strong sunlight over years.
Pale pink to rosy
Rose Quartz
The birthstone for January.
Is Rose Quartz a birthstone?
Yes. Rose Quartz is the alternative birthstone for January.
Properties
Composition
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) with trace titanium, iron or manganese
Hardness (Mohs)
7
Crystal system
Trigonal
Colour
Pale pink to rosy
Mined in
Brazil, Madagascar, India, South Africa
Worth knowing
Its colour comes from microscopic mineral fibres, which is why rose quartz is usually cloudy rather than transparent.
History
Rose quartz beads found in Mesopotamia date to around 7000 BCE.
Practical
Caring for Rose Quartz
How to tell it is real
Dyed white quartz and glass are the usual substitutes. Real rose quartz is cloudy from microscopic fibres — a perfectly transparent pink stone is probably glass.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Matches quartz, so ordinary dust will not scratch it. Fine for rings, though decades of wear will show at the edges.
Traditional associations
Rose Quartz is traditionally the standard stone of self-compassion and open-heartedness. In chakra systems it is placed at the Heart, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Water.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Rose Quartz made of?
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) with trace titanium, iron or manganese, crystallising in the trigonal system.
Which month is Rose Quartz the birthstone for?
January.
Where does Rose Quartz come from?
Brazil, Madagascar, India, South Africa.
How do I clean Rose Quartz?
Warm soapy water. Fades in strong sunlight over years.
How can I tell if Rose Quartz is real?
Dyed white quartz and glass are the usual substitutes. Real rose quartz is cloudy from microscopic fibres — a perfectly transparent pink stone is probably glass.
Can I wear it every day?
At 7 on the Mohs scale, yes — it resists everyday scratching.