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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Trade name: inclusion / visual-effect descriptor · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Strawberry Quartz
A trade name for Quartz containing red to pink inclusions; the type of inclusion varies with the source, and there is no single fixed mineralogical definition. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Strawberry Quartz forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale; where its colour and optical effects come from, each finding graded and sourced
- Treatments and enhancements of Strawberry QuartzThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Strawberry QuartzEach value with its source and check date
- Strawberry Quartz in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Listing and disclosing Strawberry QuartzThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Strawberry QuartzWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
'Strawberry quartz' refers to quartz hosting red or pink (often dot-like, granular) inclusions; it is quartz (SiO2), not a separate mineral, and the red/pink colour comes from the inclusions rather than a lattice colour centre. The authoritative sources identify spherical to globular (spherulitic) hematite aggregates in quartz, ranging in colour from black to red-orange and about 5-100 μm across; such iron-oxide inclusions can impart a red tone to quartz. Inclusions can be positioned along growth planes, syngenetic with the quartz host, and primary inclusions also elongate along the growth direction. Because the inclusion species varies between occurrences, the exact mineral behind 'strawberry quartz' must be identified case by case.
Scope: Covers the trapping of red/pink mineral inclusions in natural quartz and the naming of this variety; does not cover dyed quartz, material containing artificial fillers, or glass imitations.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
Where it forms
Open cavities/vugs where quartz grows inward from the walls out of silica-rich fluid and inclusions are trapped or positioned along growth planes.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
A quartz growth system coexisting with iron oxides: hematite and other iron-oxide inclusions are syngenetic with the quartz.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
General quartz deposition setting: cavities and vesicles where silica accumulates from migrating solutions.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
How it forms, step by step
Silica-rich fluid enters a cavity/vug and quartz crystallizes inward from the wall.
Iron oxides coexisting with the quartz (e.g. hematite) form in the system, sometimes as spherulitic aggregates.
During growth the quartz encloses these red/black grains; the inclusions are positioned along growth planes and are syngenetic with the host.
Primary inclusions elongate along the growth direction and are dispersed, giving the dot-like, granular red 'strawberry' appearance.
Link to appearance
Red/pink iron-oxide (e.g. hematite) grains dispersed in the quartz give the dotted 'strawberry' look and colour; the grains range from black to red-orange depending on grain size and mineral phase.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
Timescale
The sources give no absolute age or duration for quartz or inclusion growth.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
Related base materials
- Quartz (SiO2): inclusion-variety-of | Strawberry quartz is quartz containing red/pink inclusions
Supporting findings
Black (and metallic) inclusions in quartz can be positioned along growth planes and are syngenetic with the quartz host.
Evidence grade AScope: The source is colorless quartz spheres hosting black platy hematite inclusions, a case showing how inclusions are emplaced syngenetically.
Sources G&G Fall 2024
Primary inclusions in quartz form while the crystal grows and stretch parallel to its growth direction.
Evidence grade AScope: The source is an amethyst (quartz variety) case; the mechanism is analogous to quartz with red inclusions.
Causes of colour and optical effects
Hematite inclusions in quartz can occur as spherical to globular (spherulitic) aggregates from black to red-orange, about 5-100 μm in diameter; such iron-oxide inclusions can impart a red tone to quartz.
Evidence grade AScope: The source is the Canadian La Manche amethyst case, using 'hematite aggregates/spherulites'; it does not use the name 'strawberry quartz'.
Other research findings
'Strawberry quartz' is a trade name for quartz hosting red/pink (often dot-like) inclusions; it is quartz (SiO2), not a separate mineral, and the red/pink colour comes from the inclusions rather than a lattice colour centre.
Evidence grade BScope: The sources do not use the name 'strawberry quartz'; the boundary is organized from their identification of red/black inclusions in quartz, with no authoritative source defining the name itself.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- The inclusion species in 'strawberry quartz' varies between occurrences and must be tested per stone; the sources only identify iron-oxide inclusions such as hematite and do not define 'strawberry quartz'.
- No authoritative source defines the name; that the red/pink comes from inclusions is inferred from the colour mechanisms described.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Quartz with red / pink inclusions
GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c)
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material), Coated (via parent material)
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
"Strawberry Quartz" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Trade name rather than a mineralogical species name.
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Quartz with red / pink inclusions" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Trade name rather than a mineralogical species name.
- Suggested listing name
- Quartz with red / pink inclusions
Care and wear
No care facts are recorded for this entry itself. Its parent material has care records: see Quartz.
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
| Irradiation | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Dyeing | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Coating | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Rock Crystal)
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Strawberry Quartz, the name register records "Strawberry quartz", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded; one further name in a non-Latin script is listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name).
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 national-standard name corresponding to Strawberry Quartz is rock crystal, and the original standard does not list strawberry quartz; the suggested listing name is rock crystal with red/pink inclusions. Trade and mineralogical namesThe entry's own English name is Strawberry Quartz, and the trade name/synonym is Strawberry quartz; registered market names are the English Strawberry quartz and a Simplified Chinese name meaning old-mine strawberry rock crystal, in which old mine is a quality modifier and the whole string is registered as one name. Sub-names and unacceptable namesStrawberry quartz and quartz with green or dark needle-like inclusions are listed as related high-risk names, because the inclusions are not a fixed single mineral. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name is quartz with red/pink inclusions, the kind of inclusion varying with the occurrence and requiring case-by-case identification. Names in four languagesNames are given in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Strawberry Quartz) and Japanese (a katakana transliteration). Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts on file have no wording for Strawberry Quartz (checked); GIA and Gem-A wording is unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Japanese namesThe entry's own Japanese name is the katakana form, and Japan's GSJ wording for it is not yet verified by this site.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (2) | ||||
| Strawberry quartzEnglish | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited); Note: Related high-risk name “Strawberry quartz, green hair quartz, black hair quartz”: the inclusions are not one fixed mineral. |
| 老矿草莓水晶Simplified Chinese | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited); Note: “Old mine” is a quality qualifier; the whole string is registered as one name. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ストロベリークォーツ (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- 水晶 (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 c))
- Mineralogical name
- Quartz with red / pink inclusions; the inclusion species varies between occurrences and must be identified case by case
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 草莓晶
- 繁體中文
- 草莓晶
- English
- Strawberry Quartz
- 日本語
- ストロベリークォーツ
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Quartz and chalcedony materials
- Identity tier
- Trade name: inclusion / visual-effect descriptor
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Rock Crystal” row of Table B.1: Heating Optimization; Irradiation Optimization; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Dyeing Treatment; Coating Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Rock Crystal page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
The material facts for Strawberry Quartz come from GB/T 16553—2017, with every cited clause value taken for rock crystal (the whole class), not measured on Strawberry Quartz alone. For rock crystal (the whole class): structure crystalline, trigonal, with hexagonal prismatic crystals showing pronounced horizontal striations on the prism faces; Mohs hardness 7; cleavage none. For rock crystal (the whole class): density 2.64–2.69 g/cm³, derived from the cited clause value 2.66 and its permitted tolerance of +0.03/−0.02. For rock crystal (the whole class): refractive index 1.544–1.553, birefringence 0.009; optical character anisotropic, uniaxial, positive, a "bull's-eye" interference figure may appear, and Brazil-law twinning is common in amethyst; the cat's-eye effect can occur, and asterism can occur as six-rayed stars, mostly seen in rose quartz. For rock crystal (the whole class): untreated, pleochroism is weak and varies with colour, and lustre is vitreous. Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum and magnification are likewise written for rock crystal (the whole class) in the cited clause.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for rock crystal (the whole class), so they are not repeated on the Strawberry Quartz page; see the material facts on the Rock Crystal entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Strawberry Quartz (how to read class-level values).
Structure
Strawberry Quartz — structure (overall): crystalline
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — structure (crystal system): trigonal
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — structure (crystal habit): hexagonal prisms with prominent horizontal striations on the prism faces
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Strawberry Quartz — Mohs hardness: 7
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — cleavage: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Strawberry Quartz — density: 2.64–2.69 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 2.66, with a stated tolerance of +0.03 / -0.02. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Strawberry Quartz — optic character: anisotropic material, uniaxial, with positive optic character; a “Bull's eye” interference figure may be present, and Brazil-law twinning is common in amethyst.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — refractive index: 1.544–1.553
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — birefringence: 0.009
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — pleochroism: weak; it depends on the body colour.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — optical effect (chatoyancy): seen
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Strawberry Quartz — optical effect (asterism): seen; a six-rayed star, common in rose quartz.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
- CIBJO definitions
- chatoyancy, asterism
Quality factors
Strawberry Quartz — quality factor (lustre): vitreous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- rock crystal (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.16 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.548 / 2.67; Closest values: 1Agate 1.537 / 2.63, 2Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 3Changhua Stone 1.56 / 2.6, 4Bamboo Coral 1.57 / 2.65, 5Synthetic Beryl 1.57 / 2.69
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Clause-level definitions
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hematite | 7.2.1.106 | dark grey to black, opaque | Defined directly by CIBJO; also present in the GB/T annex. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Quartz on this site: 74 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Strawberry Quartz) is marked.
- Quartz
Sub-entries (57)
- Agate
Sub-entries (1)
- Amethyst
- Ametrine
- Aventurine Quartz
- Aventurine Quartz / Green Aventurine
- Banded Agate
- Black Agate
- Bloodstone / Heliotrope
- Blue Lace Agate
- Carnelian
- Chalcedony
Sub-entries (2)
- Chrysoprase
- Citrine
- Clear Quartz / Rock Crystal
- Coated Quartz
- Colourless to White Quartz (brand name: Azeztulite)
- Crazy Lace Agate
- Dendritic Agate
- Dyed Agate (Treated: dyed)
- Elestial Quartz / Skeletal Quartz
- Eye Agate
- Flower Agate / Cherry Blossom Agate
- Green Quartz
- High-clarity quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Included Quartz
- Jasper
Sub-entries (1)
- Madeira Citrine
- Malachite Agate
- Morion / very dark Smoky Quartz
- Moss Agate
- Moss Chalcedony
- Multi-inclusion Quartz
- Onyx (banded chalcedony)
- Phantom Quartz
- Prase
- Prasiolite / Green Quartz
- Quartz Cat’s-eye
- Quartz claimed to be from the Himalayas
- Quartz Crystal
- Quartz with dark needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with fine fibrous inclusions
- Quartz with flower-like inclusions
- Quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with green needle-like inclusions
- Quartzite Jade
- Quartzose Jade
- Red Agate
- Rock Crystal
- Rose Quartz
- Rutilated Quartz
- Sard
- Sardonyx
- Silicified Asbestos
Sub-entries (2)
- Hawk’s Eye
- Tiger’s Eye
Sub-entries (1)
- Smoky Quartz
- Smoky Quartz (brown variety)
- Strawberry Quartz
- Yellow-green Quartz
- Agate
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Quartz and chalcedony materials | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material), Coated (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Strawberry Quartz entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.