Very Large Star Rose Quartz Sphere

A very large, polished star rose quartz sphere in a delicate pink hue, with a clearly visible six-rayed asterism effect. The star moves across the polished surface with every rotation and is clearly defined in the center.

Asterism is created by tiny rutile needle inclusions in the rose quartz crystal lattice. They are oriented in three crystallographic axial directions and each reflect light as a fine ray. The superposition of the three reflection rays results in the six-rayed star image.

At this size, the sphere is a craftsmanship challenge. The rough pieces must be completely permeated with uniformly oriented rutile needles. Otherwise, the star will only appear in partial areas.

Rose quartz belongs to the quartz family. The delicate pink coloration is caused by tiny trace elements, presumably manganese and titanium, which form color centers in the crystal lattice.

Brazilian star rose quartz from Minas Gerais is the reference quality for asterism. The deposits in the region around Itinga and Coronel Murta have been documented for decades as providing the highest quality star material worldwide.

The spherical shape is the optimal geometry for the asterism effect. With every change of the light source, the position of the star changes, making the crystallographic main axis visually readable.

A collector's item of the highest class, suitable as a solitaire in a living space with sufficient light incidence so that the star can be seen to its full advantage.