Lavender Quartz
Please Read
This page contains information about lavender quartz that I am actively investigating for information. This is because there is much uncertainty around this material, a distinct lack of testing, journal articles, publications or such like.
Any information I find about lavender quartz I collate here and share with the wider community for transparency and collaboration - because, ethics. This is not a ‘witch hunt’ but rather a grand endeavour for gathering information as I channel my inner Fox Mulder because “the truth is out there” and that’s where I’m trying to get to. If you have any information about lavender quartz that you would like to share to help the community, please contact me.
What is Lavender Quartz?
Lavender quartz is a trade name used to describe what is believed to be a variety of crystalline quartz with a light purple or lavender hue with a ‘milky’ or ‘hazy’ appearance.
What does lavender quartz look like?
The images below are all screenshots from Etsy listings marketed as ‘lavender quartz’. They are used here purely for educational purposes.
Other known trade names for Lavender quartz
This material has also known to be sold as:
Lavender moon quartz
Neon quartz
Scorolite
where does it come from?
Most sources say this material comes only from one mine - the Boquira Mine in the municipality of Oliveira dos Brejinhos in the northern Brazilian state of Bahia. The Boquria Mine was opened in 1956 and closed in 1992. This mine however was used for mining lead. To date I have not found any verified information specifically about natural lavender quartz extracted from this mine.
There are some other websites claiming it can be found in Madagascar as well as some other locations like Namibia.
Where I got this information:
https://www.mindat.org/loc-8811.html
https://martinsgems.com/product/lavender-quartz/
https://www.gemadventurer.com/gemstones/lavender-quartz/
https://geologyscience.com/gemstone/lavender-quartz/
Is Lavender Quartz rare?
Most sources say this material is rare although much of the copy and product descriptions about this material appears to be ‘copy/pasted’ from the others.
Where I got this information:
https://martinsgems.com/product/lavender-quartz/
https://www.gemadventurer.com/gemstones/lavender-quartz/
https://geologyscience.com/gemstone/lavender-quartz/
How does lavender quartz get its colour?
Information I have gathered to date suggests that it gets its colour from trace elements of iron, aluminium, manganese, magnesium and titanium and possibly natural radiation (See the Soul Body Gems details further down.)
I have only found one test done on one sample and this is simply not enough to vouch for the entire global supply chain of this material.
Can lavender quartz be treated rose quartz?
Possibly. Rose quartz gets its colour in two ways:
Nanofibrous Inclusions: Most commonly, the pink colour in massive rose quartz is attributed to fibrous inclusions, often related to the mineral dumortierite. These fibres contain traces of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti), and their colour results from an intervalence charge transfer between these elements, creating an absorption band around 500 nm, which gives the quartz its pink appearance. Massive rose quartz with fibrous inclusions often has a "hazy" or turbid appearance due to light scattering by these inclusions. This type of quartz can also display asterism, a star-like effect, which occurs when the inclusions are oriented in specific directions within the crystal.
Radiation-Induced Colour Centres: In rarer cases, single-crystal pink quartz, also known as euhedral rose quartz, can get its colour from radiation-induced colour centres. In this mechanism, aluminium (Al) or phosphorus (P) may substitute into the quartz structure, forming colour centres with bridging oxygen ions. This type of pink quartz is typically more sensitive to light and may fade with prolonged sun exposure.
As we see there is a lot of similarity with trace elements and turbidity. Below are some images (mostly from Mindat where you can see the similarity of certain types of rose quartz that are more translucent to transparent and display the ‘hazy’, turbid look.
Rose Quartz from Hogg Mine, Smiths Crossroad, Troup County, Georgia, USA. Photo: Copyright © Duane Marcus
Geology.com: A faceted specimen of rose quartz cut from rough mined in South Africa.
Rose quartz from Ambohimena pegmatite, Ambohimena, Andranomiady, Ankazobe District, Analamanga, Madagascar
Gem Rock Auctions: Rose quartz (origin unknown)
Where I got this information:
American Minerologist (Volume 86, pages 466–472, 2001), “Fibrous nanoinclusions in massive rose quartz: The origin of rose coloration.
Radiation Measurements (Volume 42, Issue 10, November 2007, Pages 1610-1617): Luminescent, optical and color properties of natural rose quartz”
Cambridge University Press (2021): “Mineralogy and mineral chemistry of quartz: A review”
Can lavender quartz be treated Amethyst?
I’d say ‘yes’. As detailed in the Gem-A journal article below, this is a possibility. A similar looking material has been produced by heating amethyst. Amethyst’s purple colour comes from trace iron and natural irradiation within the quartz. The intensity of the purple can vary depending on the concentration of iron and the level of irradiation. Unfortunately we
Heated amethyst from The Journal of Gemmology paper.
Where I got this information:
Gem-A, The Journal of Gemmology, (2012, Volume 33, Nos. 1/4 pages 29-43). “Review of some current coloured quartz varieties”
Is lavender quartz natural?
Honestly, we don’t really know for sure.
The material could possibly be natural, and when we say natural, we mean that it was formed geologically or in a geological environment without human intervention i.e it was grown and formed in nature and not in a lab and has not been altered by humans in any way.
Some materials may have started out life naturally, but have since had some intervention by humans once it was extracted from the mine.
For example, a piece of amethyst may have grown naturally, but once mined, it can be heated to create citrine. The original material is natural and may display natural inclusions, like fingerprint inclusions, but it has since been altered by humans to create a new material - citrine. In this case the citrine would not be natural. It could be seen as natural quartz (because it did form naturally) but the method of which the colour was achieved, was not natural, therefore rendering the citrine as ‘not natural’.
If a person who lacks knowledge and understanding of gemmology and only tests or looks for signs of natural origin and not specifically for treatments, they can easily mistake the treated material for being natural. This is because they don’t know what to look for and can be easily tricked by the natural inclusions. This is another reason why in some instances materials are treated and not synthesised in the lab, because then they would be virtually flawless and a bit of “give away” that they are ‘fake’.
In the case of lavender quartz, its highly plausible that the original quartz is natural (either amethyst or rose quartz originally) which has been heated or irradiated to achieve the colour and turbidity (the milky or hazy look). It would be unethical for a supplier to knowingly mislead buyers by labelling their lavender quartz as ‘natural’ if it has been treated in any way.
To date I have not yet found any reputable journal articles or publications that have specifically tested both treated and natural lavender quartz and provided the results.
Checking through reputable data sources, ‘lavender quartz’ is not listed as a recognised mineral species/variety. For example:
IMA (International Mineral Association) - A global organisation that promotes mineralogy and standardises the names of minerals.
Gemdat.org - The web's most comprehensive and regularly updated gemmology database with information on gems.
Mindat.org - The world's largest open database of minerals, rocks, meteorites and the localities they come from.
What reputable information have i found so far?
The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A)
Source: The Journal of Gemmology in 2012, Volume 33, Nos. 1/4 pages 29-43.
I found a journal article titled “Review of some current coloured quartz varieties” that was written by Ulrich Henn and Rainer Schultz-Güttler.
For some background, Dr. Ulrich Henn is a distinguished gemmologist affiliated with the German Gemmological Association (DGemG) and the German Foundation for Gemstone Research (DSEF). He has contributed significantly to gemological research and education, including co-authoring the "Gemmological Tables" for gemstone identification.
Dr. Rainer Aloys Schultz-Güttler is a mineralogist and gemmologist associated with the University of São Paulo's Institute of Geosciences in Brazil. His research focuses on mineralogy and geotectonics, and he has many published works.
Both Dr. Henn and Dr. Schultz-Güttler are recognised experts in their fields, contributing extensively to gemological literature and research.
This article was published by Gem-A in their The Journal of Gemmology in 2012, Volume 33, Nos. 1/4 pages 29-43. The article contains images of a material they describe as ‘neon quartz’ which very much resembles lavender quartz.
In short, they describe neon quartz as a unique, milky quartz variety created by heating amethyst beyond 500°C. This process removes the violet colour by releasing -OH (hydroxyl) groups, which form tiny water droplets within the quartz, creating a moonstone-like glow. Originally violet from iron-related colour centres, amethyst transforms into neon quartz when heated. At around 600°C, its lilac tones fade completely, and the scattered light from water droplets gives the quartz a milky, opalescent quality.
(Directly from the journal article) Figure 14: Faceted ’neon quartz‘, i.e. bleached amethyst. The milky appearance is produced by microscopic fluid inclusions, formed due to heat treatment. Weight of the specimen 4.84 ct. Photo by German Gemmological Association.
(Directly from the journal article): Colour causes and modifications of iron-bearing quartz. The possible ways of changing colours are indicated as are the causes. Photo by German Gemmological Association.
Forums
I have listed some threads from forums discussing the material.
Links to forum discussions:
https://www.gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25014
What do Stockists and Suppliers say?
Note: this in an incomplete list and still in prgress.
In effort to gather more information, I have reached out a number of stockists, retailers, wholesalers etc. to see what information they would be willing to share with me. I am obviously more interested in hearing from those who say their materials are natural as I would like to understand how they got to that conclusion. Below is a list I have collated from searches. I have also included an average price per SKU (stock keeping unit) as a rough gauge as my thought process includes the fact that these are ‘so rare’ that price should factor into the assessment as well.
Treated Materials
These are stockists who say their material has been treated:
About: Columbia Gem House, established in 1976, is a family-owned business specialising in ethically sourced gemstones and jewellery. They emphasise fair trade practices, ensuring environmental protection, cultural respect, and worker rights throughout their supply chain. The company offers a diverse range of gemstones and jewellery, all traceable from mine to market.
Inventory: At the time of writing, all the stock on the website is from Brazil and has been irradiated.
Average price per SKU: approx. £65 ($84)
About: Gemporia, a UK jewellery retailer founded in 2004 that offers high-quality, ethically sourced gemstones and jewellery. They focus on affordability, transparency, and responsible sourcing, ensuring fair and environmentally conscious mining practices. Gemporia also provides educational content on gemstone properties, care, and sourcing.
Average price per SKU: approx. £72 ($93) which includes metals as these were all set in jewellery so the loose stones themselves are much cheaper than the average listed here.
Inventory: All stock on the website is from Boquira, Brazil and has received heat treatment, irradiation or both.
About: Martin’s Gems offers precision-cut gemstones and bespoke jewellery, with expertise from over 30 years of gem mining across Africa and South America. Based in London, the company provides custom cutting, gemstone recutting, and training, emphasizing ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility.
Inventory: At the time of writing, all the stock on the website is from Brazil and has been irradiated.
Average price per SKU: approx. £163 ($210)
Natural Materials
These are stockists who say their material is natural:
About: Gemic, also known as Gem Agency™, is a private and independent gemological institute established in 2014 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It offers a range of services, including gemstone identification, certification, and research. The institute also operates a gem testing laboratory managed by an accredited gemologist, providing gemological testing and research services.
Average price per SKU: approx. £155 ($202)
Inventory: This supplier states all their materials are natural and they have tested this themselves.
Communication:
Update 01/11/2024: I have reached out to Gemic for information on their stock, testing methods used etc. but have yet to receive a response.
About: A USA based crystal and gemstone business
Average price per SKU: None in stock as of Nov 2024 to calculate.
Inventory: This supplier states all their materials are natural and they have tested this themselves.
Communication:
Update 31/10/2024: I have reached out to Soul Body Gems for information and they were kind enough to share some information from a test they conducted in 2024 on one of their faceted materials which I have listed below:
I want to thank Kasia and Mariola for being open and sharing this as well as their ongoing efforts in testing their materials - it goes a long way to helping the community understand what’s on the market.
I do want to note though that these findings are not conclusive evidence that the lavender quartz tested is natural. As I explained earlier, the source material may been natural but these tests do not provide a conclusion that its untreated. The report is largely factual, however, it does not mention any specific testing for heat or irradiation treatments. It only describes the specimen’s physical characteristics (such as inclusions and trace element composition) and speculation about possible natural factors affecting its colour, like natural radiation exposure.
For a definitive assessment of whether the quartz has undergone heat or irradiation treatment, the report would need to explicitly mention tests aimed at detecting such treatments, like UV-Vis spectroscopy or specific indicators of artificial irradiation. Since those tests aren’t mentioned here, there’s no conclusive evidence in this report that the lavender moon quartz is untreated in terms of heat or irradiation.
Both Natural and Treated Materials
Gemstones Brazil is an international wholesaler of gemstones, many sourced from their own mines in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Established in 2008 by Maíra Toledo Rodrigues, the company relocated to Scotland in 2011. They emphasise ecological mining practices and provide detailed provenance information for their stones.
Average price per SKU: approx. £36 ($46)
Inventory: Most of the stock listed on the website has been marked as natural and untreated. Some stock is marked as ‘heated’.
Communication:
Update 05/11/2024: I have reached out to them for information on their materials and am awaiting a response.
My conclusion thus far…
Lavender quartz labelled as ‘heated’ could be treated amethyst.
Lavender quartz labelled as ‘irradiated’ could be treated rose quartz.
Until we have conducted tests on various samples, we cannot say for sure and we should err on the side of caution.
