Pink stones: list, shades, symbolism, treatments and care

← Back to Guide to stones by color

Rose quartz, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, kunzite, morganite, pink tourmaline, pink opal... Pink stones, their shades, hardness, symbolism and the pitfalls to avoid.

Key points

Shades	Pale pink, powder pink, salmon pink, raspberry pink, mauve pink
Best-known stones	Rose quartz, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, morganite, pink tourmaline
Hardest	Morganite (7.5 to 8), pink tourmaline (7 to 7.5), rose quartz (7)
Softest	Rhodochrosite (3.5 to 4), mangano-calcite (3), pink dolomite
Sensitive to light	Kunzite, rose quartz (depending on the source), morganite
Symbolism	Gentleness, tenderness; a modern convention that varies between cultures

Pink, a colour minerals tend to keep pale

Pure, vivid pink is rare among minerals. It most often comes from manganese (rhodochrosite, rhodonite, kunzite, mangano-calcite, morganite), from fibrous inclusions (rose quartz) or from colour centres (some crystallised rose quartz). These stones therefore belong to very different families: quartz, carbonates, manganese silicates, beryls, tourmalines. Redder stones are covered in red stones.

The main pink stones

Stone	Shade	Hardness	Good to know
Rose quartz	pale, milky pink	7	quartz; may be dyed if very vivid
Rhodochrosite	pink to raspberry, banded	3.5 to 4	manganese carbonate; soft
Rhodonite	pink, black veins	5.5 to 6.5	manganese silicate
Kunzite	light pink to lilac	6.5 to 7 (cleavage)	spodumene; fades in light
Morganite	peach to salmon pink	7.5 to 8	beryl; heating is common
Pink tourmaline	soft to vivid pink	7 to 7.5	elbaite; treatments possible
Pink opal	pale pink, opaque	5.5 to 6.5	common opal from the Andes (Peru)
Mangano-calcite	pale to deep pink, veined with white	about 3	soft carbonate; fears acids
Smithsonite	pink among other colours	about 4 to 5	zinc carbonate
Strawberry quartz	pink and red	7 for quartz	sometimes glass with inclusions
Pink dolomite	rosy white	3.5 to 4	carbonate; reacts to acids
Lepidolite	pink to lilac, glittery	2.5 to 4	lithium mica; flaky

A few details

Massive rose quartz owes its colour to microscopic inclusions of a fibrous silicate close to dumortierite; it is hard (7), but several guides advise keeping it out of the sun, because some crystallised rose quartz is photosensitive. Rhodochrosite (its name comes from the Greek for “rose” and “colour”) is a soft manganese carbonate with pink and white bands. Rhodonite is a pink manganese silicate, sometimes veined with black by oxides. Morganite, a peach-pink beryl, is named after the banker John Pierpont Morgan. Pink tourmaline is an elbaite, and rubellite is its reddest variety. Pink opal comes mainly from the Andes (Peru). Smithsonite, a zinc carbonate, occurs in pink among other colours.

What pink suggests, across cultures

In the West, pink is today associated with gentleness, tenderness and femininity. This association is recent: pink took on its meaning of tenderness in the 18th century, and the “pink for girls, blue for boys” code only became established between the 1920s and 1950s; before that, pink could even be seen as a manly colour, a softened version of red. In Japan, pink is first and foremost that of the cherry blossom (sakura), a symbol of the fleeting nature of life. In modern crystal healing, pink stones are associated with tenderness, self-love and the heart chakra, which is sometimes shown in pink. These are recent conventions, without scientific evidence; see the heart chakra.

Treatments, dyes and imitations

Rose quartz: a very vivid, uniform pink is often dyed or comes from glass; natural rose quartz is pale and milky.
Kunzite: irradiation is possible to intensify the colour, which may fade in light.
Morganite: heating to about 400 °C to set the peach-pink colour.
Pink tourmaline: heating, irradiation, and sometimes filling of fissures.
Strawberry quartz: sometimes red glass with inclusions.
Pink opal, mangano-calcite, agates: dyeing is possible.

For simple guidance, see real or fake stone.

Care and pairings

Rose quartz and tourmaline are rinsed in lukewarm water and dried; rhodochrosite, mangano-calcite and dolomite fear acids and prolonged water; kunzite and morganite fear light. The purification table gives the precautions for each stone. Pink pairs with green (green stones, its complementary colour), white and grey.

Frequently asked questions

Does rose quartz fade in the sun?

Opinions differ: some sources distinguish massive rose quartz, which is fairly stable, from crystallised rose quartz, which is photosensitive. Caution suggests keeping it in the shade.

How can dyed rose quartz be recognised?

A vivid, uniform pink, dye in the fissures, or an overly translucent look are signs. Natural rose quartz is milky and a pale pink.

Is rhodochrosite fragile?

Yes, it is soft (3.5 to 4) and reacts to acids. Avoid knocks, prolonged soaking and household cleaning products.

Is morganite natural?

Yes, it is a pink beryl, but its colour is often enhanced by heating. The treatment is common and accepted if disclosed.

Is pink linked to a chakra?

In modern tradition, it is associated with the heart chakra, but this is a recent convention.