Rose quartz bowl (60-90mm) from Madagascar

Rose quartz, also known as the 'Stone of Love', is a variety of quartz. The color ranges from deep pink to very light, translucent pink. Rose quartz, named for its pink hue, often shows fractures and is usually somewhat cloudy. The color is caused by the presence of titanium and manganese and can fade. Very fine rutile needles can cause a six-rayed star in cabochon-cut stones. Rose quartz has been used as a gemstone for centuries. The finest rose quartz comes from Madagascar. Rose quartz with a cat's-eye effect is found in Sri Lanka, but also in Kenya, Mozambique and Namibia. Brazil has many deposits; rose quartz was discovered in Minas Gerais in 1959. Some Brazilian rose quartz shows a cat's-eye effect or asterism. In the United States, rose quartz is found in Maine, California, South Dakota and Colorado, with asterism in specimens from New York and Georgia. Russia, Kazakhstan, India and Japan are also sources of rose quartz. It is rare for rose quartz over 20 carats to be faceted. On display at the American Museum of Natural History is a 625-carat rose quartz sphere that exhibits asterism.