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Rose quartz
This is the pink variety of quartz found in
anhedral masses rather than distinct crystals.
Appearance Due to minute inclusions of foreign
substances, sometimes roughly oriented by the crystal, rose
quartz is always somewhat milky rather than perfectly transparent.
The color is generally a very delicate soft pink which is
probably brought out by the stone's relative lack of transparency.
Stones may exhibit cloudier patches or streaks and may have
a discontinuous look. The internal cloudiness is often due
to cracks or discontinuities, which make this the one type
of quartz that is somewhat brittle. It is pierced and made
into necklace beads, engraved and fashioned into pendants,
or made into small sculpted ornaments.
Occurrence Rose quartz is not very plentiful
and mainly comes from Brazil, the United States, and Madagascar.
Value It is valued as an ornamental
material for its very attractive color and comparative rarity,
but this is offset by its tendency to be brittle.
Simulants and synthetics It is imitated by
glass designed to simulate not only the color, but the internal
streaks. This process, however, often produces air bubbles,
clearly visible under a lens.
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