Strawberry quartz looks like its name: clear rose-tinted crystal scattered with tiny red flecks, as if the stone had seeds. Those flecks are real mineral inclusions, every pattern unique, and the deepest-red material — the kind our bracelet is cut from — has long been called "pigeon blood" in the Chinese trade, borrowing the term rubies use for their most prized color.

What is strawberry quartz?

Strawberry quartz is natural quartz (SiO₂, Mohs 7) whose pink-red color comes from inclusions of hematite, goethite or lepidocrocite — iron minerals trapped as the crystal grew. It is not dyed and not glass: under a loupe you can see the individual red platelets suspended at different depths, something no imitation reproduces. Sources include Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Brazil and China. Because inclusion density varies bead to bead, every strand has its own constellation.

What does strawberry quartz traditionally mean?

Pink stones carry the tradition of the heart, and strawberry quartz is the liveliest of them — traditionally associated with warmth, affection and the kind of love that shows up in daily gestures rather than grand speeches. In the Chinese five-element reading its red-pink belongs to Fire, the element of joy and connection. The old trade name "pigeon blood" tied it to vitality and the life force. Meaning cards in our boxes tell this tradition as tradition: a story to wear, not a promise to hold us to.

Is strawberry quartz the same as rose quartz?

No — and the difference is easy to see. Rose quartz is uniformly, translucently pink throughout, colored by microscopic fibrous inclusions; strawberry quartz is clearer crystal with visible discrete red flecks. Rose quartz whispers; strawberry quartz sparkles. In tradition they share the heart theme, but rose quartz leans toward self-compassion and quiet, while strawberry quartz leans toward warmth expressed outward — which is why it is the more common romantic gift.

Who is strawberry quartz for?

Traditionally, anyone tending a relationship: new couples, long marriages, close friendships. Practically, anyone who wants pink with personality — the flecked depth reads richer in person than flat-colored beads, and it photographs with visible dimension. Our Pigeon Blood Strawberry Quartz Bracelet strings the deep-red grade in your choice of bead size, made to order to your wrist.

How do I care for it?

Like all quartz, it is easygoing: Mohs 7 durability, safe with lukewarm water and a soft cloth. Avoid perfume directly on the beads and store it in the gift box to protect the polish. The elastic stringing carries our one-year guarantee, with free re-stringing if it ever loosens.

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Is strawberry quartz dyed?

Genuine strawberry quartz is not dyed — the red comes from real iron-mineral platelets trapped inside the crystal. Under a loupe you can see individual flecks at different depths, which no dye or glass imitation reproduces.

Strawberry quartz vs rose quartz — which should I choose?

Rose quartz is uniformly translucent pink and leans toward quiet self-compassion in tradition; strawberry quartz is clearer with visible red flecks and leans toward warmth expressed outward — the more common romantic gift.

What does "pigeon blood" mean?

It is the Chinese trade term borrowed from rubies for the deepest, most vivid red grade — the grade our bracelet is cut from.

How durable is it?

It is quartz: Mohs 7, safe for daily wear, cleaned with lukewarm water and a soft cloth. The elastic stringing carries a one-year guarantee.

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