December 2023 – Rose quartz

Due to many requests, rose quartz has finally been chosen as the mineral of the month. Yay!!! Rose quartz is a variety of the mineral quartz. A variety is a different formation of a mineral in terms of its color, transparency, or habit. Color variations can be caused by a slight change in the chemical composition (trace elements) or by radioactive radiation, for example. The coloration of rose quartz has not yet been fully clarified and there are different opinions. However, the most common publications and studies show that microscopically small fibrous inclusions of a pink borosilicate, related to dumortierite, are responsible for the coloration in rose quartz. Rose quartz is found in granitic pegmatites and hydrothermal veins. In our museum there is also a large rose quartz you can touch – come and see it again!

SiO₂

Locality: Hühnerkobel, Bavaria

Size: 5x8x8 cm (HxLxW)

Weight: 450 g