Every culture that's touched rose quartz has told roughly the same story about it: this is the stone you reach for when you mean love, and mean it steadily, not just once. That's an unusually consistent read on a mineral, and it's the reason we built Constant around it.

What rose quartz actually is

Rose quartz is macrocrystalline quartz, the same mineral family as clear quartz and amethyst, coloured pale to deep pink by trace amounts of titanium, iron, or manganese within its crystal structure. It forms in large masses rather than individual pointed crystals, which is why it's typically cut and polished rather than found as a naturally faceted gem. Major deposits come from Brazil, Madagascar, India, and South Africa.

On the Mohs hardness scale it sits at 7, which is durable enough for everyday jewellery, comparable to amethyst or citrine, though softer than sapphire or diamond.

Where the meaning comes from

The association between rose quartz and love isn't a modern marketing invention. It runs back further than most gemstone folklore.

Egyptian beauty rituals used rose quartz in facial treatments as early as 3000 BCE, worn and applied in the belief that it preserved youth and prevented ageing. In Greek and Roman mythology, the stone's pink hue was tied to Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love. One version of the story holds that rose quartz first turned pink when the blood of Aphrodite and Adonis mixed and touched the stone as she rushed to save him, though this is best understood as myth rather than gemological record. By medieval Europe, rose quartz talismans were exchanged between lovers as tokens meant to draw affection and lasting devotion.

What it represents today

In contemporary use, rose quartz is still most closely associated with love, though the framing has broadened. Many now read it as a stone of self-worth and self-compassion first, romantic love second, the steadiness turned inward before it's offered outward. It's commonly worn as a personal reminder rather than only a romantic gift.

That's the reading we built Constant around. Our collections are named as single-word states of being, and Constant is meant to represent exactly what the word says: steadiness, not intensity. Rose quartz, with a meaning that hasn't shifted in three millennia, is the only stone that made sense as its centre.

Caring for rose quartz jewellery

Rose quartz is durable for daily wear, but a few things are worth knowing:

• Keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight. The trace minerals that give rose quartz its colour can fade with extended UV exposure over time. Occasional wear outdoors is fine; leaving a piece on a sunlit windowsill for weeks isn't.
• Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and harsh chemicals. Clean with lukewarm water, a mild soap, and a soft cloth. Avoid chlorine, perfume, and other chemicals coming into direct, prolonged contact with the stone.
• Store it separately. At a 7 on the Mohs scale, rose quartz can scratch softer metals and stones if left tangled with other pieces. A lined pouch or a separate compartment keeps it in good condition.

Common questions

What does rose quartz symbolise?
Historically and across cultures, love, most often specifically enduring or steady love, along with more recent associations with self-worth and compassion.

Is rose quartz real quartz?
Yes. It's macrocrystalline quartz coloured pink by trace minerals, part of the same family as clear quartz, amethyst, and citrine.

Does rose quartz fade over time?
It can, with prolonged direct sunlight exposure, as the trace minerals responsible for its colour are somewhat light-sensitive. Normal wear doesn't cause noticeable fading.

How do you clean rose quartz jewellery?
Lukewarm water, mild soap, and a soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and prolonged contact with harsh chemicals.

Constant isn't built around a trend in gemstones. It's built around the one meaning that's stayed put.