Description
Rose quartz (the stone of love) is a variety of quartz. Its color ranges from dark pink to a very light, translucent pink. Rose quartz, named for its pink color, is often cracked and usually slightly cloudy. The colorants are titanium and manganese. The color can fade; very small rutile needles create a six-rayed star shape in cabochon cuts. Rose quartz has long been used as a gemstone. The best rose quartz is mined in Madagascar. Cat's-eye rose quartz is found in Sri Lanka. It also occurs in Kenya, Mozambique, and Namibia. Numerous deposits exist in Brazil. Rose quartz was first discovered in Minas Gerais in 1959. Some rose quartz from Brazil exhibits a cat's-eye effect or asterism. In the United States, rose quartz is found in Maine, California, South Dakota, and Colorado. Asterism occurs in rose quartz from New York and Georgia. Russia, Kazakhstan, India, and Japan also supply rose quartz. Rose quartz weighing more than 20 carats is rarely faceted. The American Museum of Natural History houses a 625-carat rose quartz sphere that exhibits asterism.
