Rose Quartz Crystal: Meaning, Healing, and How to Use

The use of rose quartz is said to date back as far as 7,000 B.C. It’s also been claimed that Egyptian and Roman women used rose quartz face masks to clear their complexions and prevent wrinkles.

Today rose quartz is often used as jewelry, for meditation, or as decoration in homes or office spaces.

The rose quartz is a pale pink stone that’s part of the quartz crystal family.

Deeper pink varieties of the stone are sometimes called strawberry rose quartz. Lavender rose quartz varieties are pale purple.

Rose quartz is a mineral composed primarily of silicon dioxide molecules that typically form at about 752°F to 1,292°F (400°C to 700°C). The crystal can be found across the United States, Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, South Africa, India, Sweden, and Germany.

While there’s no scientific evidence that rose quartz crystals offer any health benefits, they’re still commonly used for healing purposes.

Rose quartz is perhaps best known for being the stone of unconditional love. It’s believed by some to emit a strong vibration of:

• love
• joy
• emotional healing

“Rose quartz is a powerful healing crystal,” says crystal healer and reiki master Keith Birch, owner of KSC Crystals. “Its soft, gentle, almost pastel pale pink coloring is a good indication of its most commonly known property: that of pure love. It’s a stone of both giving and receiving love.”

As Birch says, rose quartz is believed by many to encourage the qualities of love.

However, it’s important to note that there’s a lack of research to support these claims about crystals. In fact, there’s very little evidence to support the benefits of crystals at all.

Scientific evidence

An older study presented at two international conferences in 1999 and 2001 suggests that any spiritual, emotional, or healing benefits experienced from crystals may be the result of a placebo effect.

In the study, 80 volunteers were given booklets explaining the sensations they might experience while holding crystals. Half of the participants were given genuine gemstones and the other half received fakes made of plastic.

The study found that the participants holding the fake crystals were just as likely to report sensations as those who had been given the real crystals.

This implies that any benefits of rose quartz or other crystals could be a result of the placebo effect. Benefits of the placebo effect are strongly supported by research.

Even so, many people still use crystals as part of their healing practice.

Use in healing

The rose quartz is believed to embody powerful healing qualities that may be beneficial both for physical and emotional health.

It’s said by some that rose quartz can:

• heal relationship problems
• promote mutual understanding
• inspire an attitude of compassion and kindness

It’s also believed it can boost feelings of:

• peace
• calm
• self-love

“Predominantly, rose quartz is a crystal of unconditional love that brings deep healing to the heart by opening the heart chakra,” Birch explains. “Once achieved, a deeper state of calmness, serenity, and peace is reached, which ultimately results in complete relaxation, encouraging the feelings of happiness and contentment.”

The rose quartz is also believed to have benefits for physical health, particularly when worn or carried on your body.

Rose quartz “is especially powerful when worn close to the heart,” Birch claims. “Rose quartz wards off negativity, and when carried on your person, helps to replace negative emotions with positive, returning the wearer to that place of pure love and balance.”

That said, you should never use a crystal to replace the advice and treatment of a qualified healthcare professional.

You can use rose quartz crystals in several ways, including:

• including them in rituals
• wearing them on your body
• placing them under your pillow
• decorating your home with them
• placing them on an altar or sacred space
• holding them while you meditate
• adding them to your beauty routine

Rose quartz rituals

Rose quartz is often used in rituals, from manifesting desires to calling in unconditional love. Want to give it a try? Here are just a few ways to ritualize your rose quartz.

Setting intentions with rose quartz

Rose quartz is believed by some to enhance the power of your intentions, especially those relating to love, romance, or compassion.

Here’s how to set an intention with this crystal:

1. Sit in a quiet, calm space. You can set the mood by lighting incense or a candle.
2. Slow your breathing and attune your attention to the present moment.
3. Ask your crystal for permission to activate its energy, placing it in the palm of your hand.
4. Charge your crystal with your intention, sending the desire into the stone.
5. When you’re done, write your intention down on a slip of paper and place it under your rose quartz.
6. Leave it in a special place for as long as you want to invoke the energy of that intention.

Rose quartz mist

To spread the loving, romantic energy of rose quartz in your space, you can simply combine the stone with a bit of water. To do it:

1. Add small pieces of rose quartz to a small glass spray bottle. Using an amber bottle is best.
2. Fill the bottle 3/4 full with purified spring or distilled water.
3. Let the bottle sit for at least 1 hour. This is believed to diffuse the qualities of the quartz into the water.
4. When ready, spritz the water anywhere you want to invoke love. Try your bedspread, your couch, your clothes — even yourself!
5. As you spray, tune in to the energy of the crystal and what you’d like to invite into your space.

Rose quartz crystal grid

A rose quartz crystal grid is said to create a powerful space for manifestation. You’ll need several rose quartz crystals to set it up. Here’s how:

1. Place crystals in a circle, diamond, or star pattern. You can be as creative as you want here.
2. If you have enough crystals, keep creating outer layers so that your first shape is encircled by a second, larger shape and so on.
3. When your grid is complete, you can use it as a hotspot for meditation, prayer, or even an energetic incubator to charge objects. Simply sit in the center or your crystals or place your desired object there.
4. Once you do so, active the grid by feeling into your heart space and activating your intention.
5. Focus on the situation, relationship, or opportunity you want to manifest.
6. When you’re done, thank your stones and close the space by collecting the crystals.

Rose quartz jewelry

One simple way to incorporate rose quartz into your life is by wearing it. Rose quartz earrings or a ring keep your crystals close by.

According to Birch, wearing rose quartz on a necklace keeps the stone close to your heart, making it particularly potent.

“As a necklace, rose quartz is especially powerful because it’s worn close to the heart and heart chakra. This enables the heart center to open and release any tensions or stresses held there,” Birch claims.

Under your pillow

Birch suggests that placing rose quartz under your pillow will encourage gentle dreams.

“You’ll take on the soft, peaceful, soothing energies of the crystal as you sleep,” he explains. “This will result in your dream being calm, peaceful, and loving, once again emitting a positive vibration.”

In your home

You may like to place a rose quartz crystal in your home or office space or on a special altar or sacred space.

“Placing a piece of rose quartz in the center of your house or apartment will enhance compassion and heart healing for the whole family,” Birch claims.

In your beauty routine

Rose quartz is often used in beauty routines, both as a tool and an ingredient.

Rose quartz is often used for face rollers and gua sha tools. Many beauty products also include rose quartz, like Kora Organics Rose Quartz Luminizer and Gemstone Organic Rose Quartz Face Créme.

Any supposed benefits of rose quartz are purely anecdotal. There’s no scientific evidence to indicate that rose quartz crystals offer benefits beyond those supplied by placebo.

Still, crystals may be an important part of cultural, spiritual, and healing practices for many people.

Self-love

It’s believed among crystal healers that rose quartz can promote feelings of self-love.

“Rose quartz may be used to balance emotional health, release emotional blockages, and balance other chakras,” explains Birch. “Once you recognize and feel pure love within you, this pure love energy is what those around you feel and see and, most importantly, what they react to.”

Meditation

Some people recommend the use of rose quartz during meditation.

“In meditation, the high vibration of rose quartz is beneficial not only to yourself but also to the planet,” claims Birch. “Connecting to rose quartz with meditation enables you to reach into that feeling of bliss, self-love, and stillness.”

When meditating with rose quartz, Birch recommends giving thanks to the crystal as you close your practice.

For skin

It’s believed by some that rose quartz may be beneficial for the skin.

“For the skin, rose quartz can be used as an elixir made up by steeping the crystal in water overnight, in moonlight if at all possible, to charge the energies for maximum benefit,” Birch claims. “This can then be used as a face wash for sensitive skin or to reduce the signs of wrinkles and obtain a clearer, more youthful complexion.”

Where can I buy crystals?

You’ll want to purchase authentic crystals that aren’t made in a lab. You’ll also want to ensure they’re ethically sourced and sustainable. Buy from retailers who provide information on how their crystals are sourced, like Mystic Wolf.

How long does it take for a crystal to start working?

Healing or manifesting with crystals isn’t an exact art, nor is it a silver bullet. That said, many believe that the power of your intention and desire has an effect on how well your crystals work.

It’s also said that the energy of crystals reaches beyond time and space. That means it’s impossible to put a timeline on crystal healing.

Where do you put rose quartz on your body?

You can place rose quartz anywhere on the outside of your body.

Never place rose quartz crystals inside your body, including ears, mouth, nose, rectum, or vagina for any reason.

That said, rose quartz is often placed over the heart.

How do you meditate with rose quartz?

You can meditate with rose quartz by placing the crystal near you while you practice. You can also hold it in your palm or against your chest.

Experts suggest asking the crystal for permission before you begin and focusing on the healing, loving energy of the crystal as you practice.

Rose quartz is known as a healing crystal and the stone of unconditional love. It’s believed by some to emit strong vibrations of love, which are thought to:

• support emotional and relationship healing
• inspire compassion
• boost feelings of peace and calm

Some also claim that rose quartz may be beneficial to physical health by accelerating healing and increasing blood circulation, but there’s no scientific evidence to support this.

While there aren’t any known side effects to using quartz crystal for healing and meditation, it’s important to remember that any claims about their healing properties are anecdotal.

Still, if the symbolism and aesthetic of rose quartz crystal resonates with you, there’s likely no harm in giving it a try.

Victoria Stokes is a writer from the United Kingdom. When she’s not writing about her favorite topics, personal development, and well-being, she usually has her nose stuck in a good book. Victoria lists coffee, cocktails, and the color pink among some of her favorite things. Find her on Instagram.