Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is a form of the mineral family, Quartz. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale and a vitreous lustre. It is an abundant semi-precious stone of little market value in the jewellery industry compared to other precious coloured stones such as rubies or pink sapphires. However, it is an increasingly popular stone used in contemporary jewellery for its attractive colouring. As the name suggests, Rose Quartz ranges from a soft pale pink to a deeper creamy rosy blush.
Historians believe rose quartz was fashioned into beads by the ancient Assyrians since 800-600 BC. Rose Quartz beads dated from 7000 BC have been excavated in modern Iraq, the site of ancient Mesopotamia. The ancient Egyptians used it to prevent ageing and early American civilisations called it a ‘love stone’. Due to its flesh-like soft pink colour, Rose Quartz has been a symbol, not only of love and femininity, often linked to goddesses of love such as Venus. Rose Quartz is still believed to contain strong healing powers in alternative medicine and crystal therapy.
Today large quantities of Rose Quartz have been found in Maine, United States, and Minas Gerais, Brazil.