It’s brand new on the market and already in massive demand. Is ‘Blue Rose Quartz’ a real thing, or a marketing gimmick? Join us for a dig (pun intended) into what EXACTLY THIS CRYSTAL is, and what THE HYPE IS all about.
Table of Contents
- IS BLUE ROSE QUARTZ REAL?
- WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT THE NAME?
- Useful tradenames
- Not useful tradenames
- WHAT MAKES BLUE ROSE QUARTZ UNIQUE?
- WHAT CAUSES THE UNIQUE COLOURING?
- Hypothesis
- Testing
- IS BLUE ROSE QUARTZ RARE?
- WHAT ARE THE HEALING PROPERTIES?
- AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN THE SHOP
Is Blue Rose Quartz Real?
Yes, it’s a real stone. The material was discovered a year or two ago at the Tsaramanga mine in Madagascar. Very little has come out of the deposit thus far, and demand has been high because of the rarity and uniqueness of the material.
What’s The Fuss About The Name?
Have you heard people angrily saying “There’s no such thing as BLUE Rose Quartz!”?
Ah yes, the great “Blue Pink” Debate.
Generally speaking, mineralogists and mineral collectors on the ‘geology side’ like to name things very strictly. Mineral species, variety (if applicable), locality. They are never fans of tradenames. Tradenames are mostly used by the retail market to describe different pockets, formations and special characteristics of the same mineral species.
Tradenames can be very useful.
Useful Tradenames
For example, Ocean Jasper refers to Jasper that occurs on the northwest coast of Madagascar and is notably colourful with lots of swirls and orbicular patterning (although the original deposits are now finished and newer deposits are seemingly less so).
Picture Jasper refers to Jasper that, as the name suggests, looks like it contains pictures or scenes of desert landscapes. It’s generally shades of browns and yellows with black dendrites. Kalahari Picture Jasper is Picture Jasper that occurs in the Kalahari. While Biggs Picture Jasper occurs in Oregon, near Biggs Junction.
Not Useful Tradenames
Unfortunately over the years, some unscrupulous sellers have used exciting tradenames to hype up otherwise unremarkable (and un-sellable) material. And then sold it to the more spiritually-minded shops who don’t always know better (shop owners run businesses, they are not mineralogists). And sometimes, it’s been the spiritually-minded shops doing the naming themselves. Sometimes material that’s been around for a while gets a whole new name to make it exciting again. (Note this has mostly all occurred in the USA).
For example, calling an unattractive-looking massive deposit of an otherwise worthless material “Atlantis Dolphin Power Stone”, making up an incredible story about it, and marking up the price exponentially. Or taking an existing mineral and giving it the same treatment, again causing the price to soar far beyond its actual worth. Classic snake-oil salesman vibes.
So despite the usefulness of tradenames, they’ve gotten a bad reputation outside of the esoteric/healing community. Collectors from the geology world dislike them and associate them with hiked prices and dodgy marketing practices. That’s your baseline.
Now we come to “Blue Rose Quartz”. Rose Quartz is an accepted name that is used to label pink Quartz. So the label reads blue pink. Why not just blue Quartz if it’s blue? You can see why some feel it’s just more ‘nonsense from the “healy-feely” side’.
What Makes Blue Rose Quartz Unique?
Our aim here at The Mystic Cat is to deliver as much information as we can to our customers so that you know what you are buying. There are two reasons we decided to keep the label Blue Rose Quartz rather than calling it Blue Quartz.
The first reason is what makes Blue Rose Quartz so unique. The colour is what sets this material apart. You can’t call it blue, or pink. It is variably blue-grey-pink and often has a girasol opal-like look when turned in the light. Some pieces are very blue-ish and some are very pink-ish. So it literally IS blue-pink-Quartz! It’s really quite unusual and unique! And you know I (Shaz) love the unusual!
What Causes The Unique Colouration?
The second reason we’ve chosen to use its ‘Blue Rose Quartz’ tradename has to do with what causes the colour.
Hypothesis
An expert on Mindat.org suggested that the colour and even the name confusion could be the result of Dumortierite.
- Rose Quartz massive generally gets its pink hue from inclusions of fibrous pink Dumortierite. (This info has just recently been updated on Mindat).
- While blue Quartz most commonly gets its colour from fibrous inclusions of Magnesioriebeckite or Crocidolite, it can also be from blue Dumortierite.
Thus if “Rose Quartz” is the name for “nanofibers of pink Dumortierite included in Quartz” describing a pink coloured Quartz, then the label “Blue Rose Quartz” for “nanofibers of blue Dumortierite and pink Dumortierite included in Quartz” describing a blue-grey-pink coloured Quartz, doesn’t sound as ridiculous, does it?
Testing
We haven’t tested the material (it’s a very expensive endeavour in South Africa) and neither has our supplier. However, we did find a shop in the USA (called Little Lemuria) who has.
The lab’s first report revealed growth zoning, fluid inclusions, and solid inclusions of mica flakes and black oxides. Cool, but it didn’t explain the colour.
The lab suggested it might be a result of Rayleigh scattering (the same weird-but-awesome phenomenon that makes Blue Lace Agate appear blue), and recommended etching by hydrofluoric acid for a more detailed analysis.
The shop owners gave their go-ahead, but the etching results were equally inconclusive on the colour. Finally, the lab suggested a more aggressive but detrimental approach (which would damage or destroy the specimen provided for testing). The shop owners agreed.
The deeper etching revealed the presence of boron. More testing involving isolating fibres in a hydrothermal pressure vessel ensued and the final results were conclusive. ‘Extremely small Dumortierite fibres’ coupled with ‘consistent titanium and iron content’, create the blue hue.
The lab results are currently visible on their website HERE> Blue Rose Quartz Mineral Testing.
Is Blue Rose Quartz Rare?
Yes, currently Blue Rose Quartz is quite rare, because there is only one known locality being mined. The pocket was discovered about two years ago (according to our supplier) at the Tsaramanga mine in Madagascar. Very little material has been produced, so supply is scarce.
The lab results are also fascinating, confirming the Dumortierite theory, and do make this unique looking Quartz a lovely oddity for any collector.
What Are The Healing Properties of Blue Rose Quartz?
Being such a new stone on the market, very little has been written about it. What we can say though, is that it will combine the properties of Rose Quartz with the properties of Dumortierite.
Rose Quartz Healing
Rose Quartz is considered the most important stone for the heart chakra, by teaching the essence of true love.
It aids in purifying and opening the heart on all levels. This brings deep inner healing & self-love. Because Rose Quartz is calming & reassuring, it’s excellent for use in trauma or crisis. Plus, this stone strengthens empathy.
It is said to attract love into your life, therefore place it in the relationship corner of the bedroom or home (far right corner). In fact, it can be so effective that you might need to add Amethyst for balance. A stone that can help restore trust & harmony. Rose Quartz gently draws off negative energy & replaces it with loving vibes.
Dumortierite
Known as “The Stone of Learning”, Dumortierite helps with concentration and the ability to understand and retain what you have learnt.
Dumortierite stimulates all intellectual aspects of the brain and is especially useful when learning a foreign language.
Also believed to be a natural healer and helper of neurological functioning. It is a highly stimulating stone for the pineal gland. Dumortierite is believed to be a stone of self-reliance and discipline. It is said to promote patience and orderliness.
Overall
This is a wonderful stone connecting the heart and throat chakra, enabling us to speak from the heart and to voice our truth with loving kindness.
As always with the stones coming into our collective consciousness at this time, it is aligned with supporting us through the massive energetic shifts occurring. We’re looking forwards to working with and getting to know this beautiful crystal over the years. Let us know your experiences!
