Other than Amethyst, Rose Quartz would have to be the most familiar and immediately recognisable crystal in the world. Its pink hues that inspire visuals of fairy floss or musk sticks can be made out instantly, and for the beginner collector it’s not uncommon to find they already own a piece of it, or have one lying around the home somewhere. It is a crystal known to aspiring sweethearts, the ‘Love Crystal’, that many have collected over the years in hopes of finding their one true love and having all their dreamy crushes made real. But Rose Quartz also happens to be one of the most misunderstood and misused crystals in the pantheon of available gemstones, one that offers so much more for its users than they possibly dreamed of. It is a crystal that can awaken and heal your heart, and open you to so much more than just an ideal partner.
Much like Amethyst again, Rose Quartz is also found almost everywhere around the world, and is mined in countries like Madagascar, Brazil, South Africa, India and the USA. Unlike Amethyst, Rose Quartz does not form in geodes but rather large deposits and massive accumulations, and while iron is a key part of it’s colouring and composition much of it comes from very small inclusions of Hematite and other particles within the crystal’s structure such as titanium or manganese. In more unique samples of Rose Quartz there can also appear a special property known as an asterism, a phenomenon where perfectly perpendicular star-shaped lines form inside the quartz, giving it a peculiar but mesmerising presence. Rose Quartz shares so many similarities with it’s quartz-en siblings, but really does stand out on its own.
Rose Quartz also shares a long and varied history in many cultures (though maybe not as revered as Amethyst), and appears in decorative pieces and jewellery from Mesopotamia as far back as 9000 years ago, again used by the Ancient Egyptians and through to the Roman Empire, but also appears in Chinese dynasties dating back over the last 500 years. In almost all these instances Rose Quartz is often utilised in some way to create emotional harmony or equilibrium in relationships, and over time became known as a gem used for love in some form or fashion.
So why is Rose Quartz so often connected to love, or the idea of love? Is it just repeated human history between couples, where a gift of Rose is given? Is it because of the colour pink, that in a modern world we generally associate with all things girly? Or that symbolism and illustration for a heart is usually drawn in dark pinks or red?
The answer is more straight-forward and simple, coming back again to the balance of Quartz and Iron. Much like Amethyst (and we’ll stop comparing the two now, we swear) the cause for Rose Quartz’s effects boil down to that see-saw between these two elements. Unlike Amethyst though, Rose Quartz has a much more significant pull towards it’s iron innards, towards the base or the earth, and the end result is that your energy is pulled pretty much dead square in the center, in the heart. This is why despite being a Quartz crystal (that more typically affect the higher energy points) Rose Quartz sings directly to the Heart Chakra, with all its focus and pull on that specific area.
Rose Quartz is indeed a crystal connected energetically to the feeling of love, and to the base of your emotions in general. But this is where Rose Quartz begins to be misconstrued. It is a crystal of love, not for love. It is to help inspire that feeling of love inside you, to generate it, not to command it from others. It is for giving love, not to receive it or have it find you.
In other words, Rose Quartz is a crystal you need when you have completely forgotten what that feeling is like, or when you can no longer muster a feeling of love inside anymore. Heck, forget love, even liking anyone! If random people have driven you crazy, if other drivers on the road have made you lose your faith in humanity - if that basic feeling of being able to tolerate people or have simple empathy for them has escaped you, then maybe it’s time to start having some simple alone time with Rose Quartz.
Rose Quartz is the perfect crystal for this reason - it’s accessible and easy to use, it’s not heavy or requires deep introspection, and really helps getting back to loving the one person you should always be kind to, yourself.
It is a crystal that not only helps to re-ignite that basic sense of empathy towards others, but more importantly amplifies that sense of love for yourself, to be kind to yourself and forgive yourself for whatever shortcomings you perceive you have. It brings a warmth and happiness back into the center of your whole being, remembering that the heart is really the powerhouse to all your energy, not just a muscle that pumps blood but a generator that creates your entire field - when the heart is out, the rest of your energy is sure to collapse. Rose Quartz can provide that balance you need if you feel like you have become over-emotional or that emotions in general are hard to control, and provide a real sense that you have come back to ‘yourself’.
Rose Quartz can also have an interesting yet differing effect on large groups of people, especially families and those with strong but passionate relationships. Family units that are close but may fight a lot will begin to feel more calm, more closed-in and protected, and Rose Quartz by the doorway really helps to remind you once you walk in that what has happened in the outside world is outside, that you’re safe and loved in your own space now.
Rose Quartz is also one of the three main crystals I use for my clients when any ‘baby whispering’ is needed, and while I don’t say that it’s any more important than the other two, it is quite key to the process, to the start of it all. After all, the creation of another life can be the greatest act of love one can carry out, and if there is no love inside then the whole journey can be hindered.
So you may probably know, or think you knew about Rose Quartz. You probably have a piece in your drawer, or maybe bought a piece at some point hoping it would help you find a boyfriend or girlfriend. But have you really understood and used your Rose Quartz to its fullest? In tough times or when you can’t help but beat yourself up emotionally, don’t forget that Rose Quartz is your friend. Rest with it, chill and Netflix with it, place it on your chest - literally on your Heart Chakra - for a short while and slowly remember what it is to feel okay again, to be totally alright with you and who you are. If you begin having negative thoughts about your fellow neighbour or that aunty that just has to judge what you’re wearing, hold a piece of Rose Quartz and remind yourself that love, not hate, is what will keep you on an even keel. And if you’re looking into the mirror wondering why that person’s not loved, grab your Rose Quartz and begin saying a mantra to yourself, to love yourself more, repeating it over and over until you finally realise that you are what you love, not what loves you. That only through self-love will you begin to create the world around that you want, with the people in it that you deserve. Because we think you all deserve that too.
