What Impurities Give Rose Quartz Its Color?
Physical Properties Quartz belongs to the silicates class of minerals. It is composed of silicon oxide and is one of the most common minerals found in the Earth’s crust. It crystallizes from igneous magma, generally forming hexagonal, prismatic crystals. Often, quartz is twinned. Quartz is also rotary polar, meaning the crystal formed is either right- or left-handed. This is caused by the spiral structure inherent of the linked silicon-oxygen tetrahedra in quartz. Quartz may also contain gas or liquid bubbles that are easily visible to the naked eye. Quartz comes in a variety of colors, the color due to impurities within the crystal. Of these, rose quartz is one of the more highly prized varieties. Impurities Without impurities, pure (rock crystal) quartz is clear. With impurities, other varieties emerge: milky quartz, smoky quartz, blue quartz, citrine, amethyst, tiger’s eye, rutilated quartz, aventurine quartz and rose quartz. Rose quartz is believed to derive its color from traces o
