Strawberry quartz is a trade name for quartz sprinkled with tiny red flecks of other minerals. The flecks can look like the seeds on a strawberry, which helps explain the name. In modern crystal lore it is a stone of love and joy, a brighter cousin of rose quartz.
What the name covers
The quartz itself is colorless. The pink to red color comes from inclusions, small crystals of other minerals trapped inside it. Often these are flakes of hematite, a red iron oxide. Gemologists have also described strawberry quartz from Russia colored by goethite and lepidocrocite, two other iron minerals.
"Strawberry quartz" is not a strictly defined term. A 2021 report in GIA's journal Gems & Gemology noted that quartz with several different inclusions is sold under the same name, among them a pink aventurine quartz colored by flakes of red mica.
Glass is the usual look-alike. In 2003 GIA tested pink beads sold as "cherry quartz" at the Tucson gem shows. They turned out to be glass, full of tiny round gas bubbles.
Strawberry quartz and rose quartz
Both are pink quartz, and both rate 7 on the Mohs scale, but they look different up close. Rose quartz is pink all the way through. Its color comes from microscopic mineral fibers, far too small to see, which also give it a soft, hazy glow. In strawberry quartz the color sits in specks, flakes or needles that you can often see with the naked eye. Separate red specks point to strawberry quartz, or to a glass copy of it. An even, milky pink points to rose quartz.
A stone of love and joy
The meaning of strawberry quartz comes from modern crystal lore rather than ancient tradition. Crystal guides treat it as a lighter, more playful partner to rose quartz. They link it with love and affection, self-love, gentleness, gratitude and quiet joy.
In China the peach blossom stands for love, and "peach blossom luck" means luck in romance. Chinese crystal sellers recommend pink stones, rose quartz and strawberry quartz among them, to invite it.
Wearing and caring for strawberry quartz
At 7 on the Mohs scale, strawberry quartz is hard enough for a bracelet worn every day, like other quartz such as citrine. Clean it with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then dry it with a soft cloth. If you are unsure how a stone will react, skip the ultrasonic cleaner. Store it apart from harder gems, which can scratch it. You can find more pink stones among our bracelets.
