Ore's Featured Gemstone: Rose Quartz

ORE’S FEATURED GEMSTONE: Rose Quartz
by Stephanie Pflumm

There was never any doubt what the first featured gemstone would be for ORE FEATURES. It was the first stone that worked with me. Bringing that small Rose Quartz home was the beginning of my reception and assistance from the Mineral Kingdom.

Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide. A Quartz Crystal that became included with iron, titanium and minute amounts of manganese, calcium and aluminum while it was still a molten mixture.

Most Rose Quartz is found in pegmatites. A pegmatite forms as the magma from volcanos or other eruptions, slowly begins cooling. As it cools pipes, dikes, lenses and cavities anywhere from inches to miles long will form. Quartz and other crystals like Fluorite, Calcite and Pyrite will grow inside these chambers.

Unlike every other Quartz crystal, Rose Quartz rarely grows into terminated points. Science is at a loss to explain why. The exception to this are Brazilian specimens. While still rare, far more terminated Rose Quartz are found in the Brazil mines than anywhere else in the world. In fact when these specimens first came to the attention of geologists, they were dismissed as fakes.

Occasionally rutiles are included in Rose Quartz creating a star effect when light is shone through the specimen.

This soothing pink crystal is found around the world in India, Madagascar, Africa, Europe, North and South America.

Through the centuries Rose Quartz has been exchanged as a pledge of fidelity between partners. It has also been used to ensure fertility and was frequently given to young brides. Heart shaped carvings of the stone were used in magic to attract true love.

The crystal is still used to promote unconditional love and is the perfect tool for opening your Heart Chakra. It will help remove negativity in your thought patterns, allowing you to love yourself so that you may love others.

Rose Quartz assists you in calmly assessing situations so that you may bring harmony from the chaos. If tempers are flaring, leave this crystal in the room where discussions are taking place. It will aid in bringing a peaceful resolution and strengthening your relationship.

Let go of the emotional damage done by past events. Use Rose Quartz to heal festering wounds. Bring your male and female energies into balance as this crystal aids you in evolving to your higher self.

If you are a worry-wart, keep a Rose Quartz with you. It will help free you from needless burdens, letting more joy into your life. Carrying this crystal will help keep your love flowing on even the most stressful days.

For me, Rose Quartz has been a great teacher. Many of my ceremonies and honoring practices have come from meditations with my Rose Quartz. This crystal has been a tremendous source of support and enlightenment on my spiritual journey.

Healing traditions for Rose Quartz include improving circulation, relieving heart ailments and correcting dysfunctional sexual organs. As mentioned earlier, it is also used to promote fertility.

Rose Quartz elixirs will clear up skin blemishes, reduce your wrinkles and give you a softer complexion. The elixir may also be beneficial in relieving heart pains and helping this organ function properly.

Use the crystal to soothe your bronchial tubes and lungs and aid in stopping persistent coughs. Rose Quartz will release toxins from your cells, forcing impurities from your body.
Rose Quartz is found is three of Ozark Rock Exchange’s Stone Power Prayer Pouches, Love, Protection and Happiness.

Pictures of Rose Quartz

THE HISTORY OF ORE FEATURES
by Stephanie Pflumm
When I started the Ozark Rock Exchange web site, it was not my intention to write a newsletter . . . at least not initially. Rozey Gean, my web designer is directly responsible for the birth of ORE FEATURES.
The very first www.ozarkrockexchange.com was a disaster! I couldn’t get it placed in the search engines, maybe I would get 2 to 5 visitors a day. It was pretty sad.
During this time, I stumbled across a questionnaire on the web. I filled it out, partly because I was desperate, partly because I didn’t know any better. I sent it off, half expecting the only result would be a new pile of email offers I didn’t want.
The result, however, was Rozey Gean. She explained not only what was wrong with my site, but why it was not working and how to fix. And, she stressed that I absolutely, positively had to start collecting subscribers.
“Subscribers to what” I asked.
“That’s up to you” replied Rozey. She’s very good about forcing me to rise to the occasion.
Ok . . . so now I had a daunting decision to make. If people are going to subscribe to Ozark Rock Exchange, what will they be subscribing to?
One of my personal goals was (and still is) to research not just the metaphysical and healing properties of gems and crystals, but also to learn their geological origins. The more you know about your tools, the better you can work with them.
In one of those “duh” moments I have, it occurred to me that maybe, others learning to use stones would be interested in the exact same information. The basic premise for ORE FEATURES was conceived. Each issue would feature the geological and metaphysical properties of a different gem or crystal.
The very first issue went out to less than 10 individuals on October 30, 2000. Today’s Anniversary issue will be received by more than 400 subscribers.
There is one other group I need to mention that had a significant influence on ORE FEATURES. These women may not have had any impact on the forming and beginning of the newsletter, but their inspiration has reawakened my poet spirit, which has been a big part of several issues. Plus they have provided the motivation to actually take my writing seriously. They are my muses, the women of artists-and-writers@egroups.com
With all that said though, the bottom line is, ORE FEATURES would not have survived with all of Rozey’s pushing or Artists and Writers inspiration if there had not been you. You are the real reason ORE FEATURES is what it is today. Your emails thanking me, asking me questions, recommending ORE to friends and offering your support is why ORE FEATURES has sustained and grown. So thank you, thank you very much for being there to share my learning experiences.
Please read below, because I’ve tried to come up with a special Anniversary Promotion to show my deepest gratitude to you, my dear subscribers.