Rose quartz from Madagascar, 54 pieces, beautifully individually packaged in a counter box. A big sales hit for years.

Rose quartz (stone of love) is a variety of quartz. The color varies from dark pink to very light, translucent pink. Rose quartz, named after its pink color, is often cracked and usually slightly cloudy. The colorants are titanium and manganese. The color can fade; very small rutile needles cause a six-rayed star in cabochon cutting. Rose quartz has been used as a gemstone for a long time. The best rose quartz is mined in Madagascar. Cat's-eye effect rose quartz is found in Sri Lanka. It is also found in Kenya, Mozambique and Namibia. There are numerous sites in Brazil. Rose quartz was first found in Minas Gerais in 1959. Some rose quartz from Brazil exhibit cat's-eye effect or asterism. In the United States, rose quartz is found in the states of 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. Only rarely is rose quartz of more than 20 carats faceted. In the American Museum of Natural History there is a 625 carat sphere of rose quartz that shows asterism.