Rhodonite: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses

Few stones can match the bright, almost bubblegum-like pinkness of rhodonite. Even rose quartz is usually a much paler color.

While it’s often overlooked in favor of other, better known stones, rhodonite has a very special energy all its own. It’s one of the best crystals for healing the emotions and maintaining calm.

About Rhodonite

Rhodonite is a manganese inosilicate crystal. This manganese is sometimes replaced by other elements, like magnesium, calcium, or iron. Most rhodonite is a bright reddish pink, though oxidation on the surface can turn it a brownish color.

In its pure form, rhodonite appears as tabular crystals with weak pleochroism and cleavage planes that occur at nearly right angles. In light, it has a glassy or pearly luster.

A pink rhodonite crystal isolated on a white background.

Rhodonite is often seen mingled with dark manganese oxide, resulting in stones with a striking pink-and-black streaked appearance.

Rhodonite is a slightly softer stone than quartz, with a Mohs scale hardness of between 5.5 and 6.5

See also: Check out Rhodonite crystals here.

Rhodonite Healing Properties & Benefits

Emotionally, rhodonite is used for love and compassion, including self-compassion. It’s also considered a highly balancing and grounding stone, with a very gentle energy and a strong ability to help the user remain calm in upsetting situations.

It’s useful for those who tend to act hastily out of frustration or panic — just holding rhodonite is said to allow the user to process chaotic situations in a calm, rational way.

It’s also used to help those who have difficulty expressing love for themselves or those around them. This stone is excellent for partners who suffer from communication problems within their relationship.

Physically, rhodonite is said to help relieve insect bites, inflammation, and auto-immune disorders. Some use it to boost circulation and physical energy. For the most part, emotional healing is where rhodonite really shines.

See also: Check out Rhodonite jewelry here.

Rhodonite Magical Properties

Rhodonite is a stone of the heart. It combines the elemental energies of Fire and Water, and is a helpful talisman for people who have trouble balancing them within themselves.

It’s a useful companion for introspective and contemplative periods, since it helps balance solitude with action.

Its primary use is as a love stone. This gem fosters self-compassion and love for others. You can include it in a love-drawing charm, or meditate with it to gain a clearer perspective on the kind of person you want to be, and who you wish to spend your life with.

If you’re newly single, or in a relationship that doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere, rhodonite can help you learn the inner workings of your heart to find the kind of partner you really want.

As a rosy pink stone, rhodonite is suitable for all areas of pink color magic — including self-love, beauty, friendship, and reconciliation. While it might get a lot of use as a love-drawing stone, it’s really good for all aspects of love, from agape, to eros, to storge, to philia.

A macro shot of Rhodonite with magical and metaphysical properties.

Magically, it can also be used in divination. It’s less a tool for divination itself than it is a way to connect the innermost desires of the subconscious with the conscious mind.

It also helps to clear and refresh the psychic faculties, so it may be a useful tool to meditate with after a difficult or stressful divination session.

For those who work with chakras, this stone is said to be useful for the heart, solar plexuc, and root chakras. The heart chakra, Anahata, is the seat of love. Blockages here can appear as severe emotional ups and downs.

The solar plexus chakra, Manipura, is the seat of personal power. Blockages here can manifest as digestive trouble, low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, or even rage.

The root chakra, Muladhara, is the seat of survival. Its connected to instincts and the physical body, and is the first chakra. Any blockage that occurs here will prevent energy from moving up to the other chakras, causing wide-ranging imbalances.

How to Cleanse Rhodonite

Among crystal enthusiasts, rhodonite is chiefly used for emotional healing.

That means that it’s likely to end up doing a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to negative energy — if a crystal sees a lot of use in upsetting or chaotic situations, it’s going to need a lot of regular cleansing to counteract that.

Since rhodonite is slightly softer than clear quartz, it’s important to be gentle while handling and cleansing it.

You should use your intuition to choose the best method for your stone, but avoid doing things that will expose it to extremes in temperature or allow it to bump into other minerals.

Some methods for cleansing Rhodonite include:

  • Cleansing it with your own personal energy. Hold the stone in your non-dominant hand, or place it on a surface. Use your dominant hand to pass energy over the stone, “sweeping” away any negativity.
  • Fumigate the stone with cleansing herbs or incense. You may wish to use traditional love herbs in your blend.
  • Placing your rhodonite in sunlight. This can cause some stones to fade, so limit exposure to no more than a few minutes.
  • Placing the stone in the light of a full moon.
  • Burying the stone under a plant indoors or out. Trees are wonderful for cleansing magical and healing tools.
  • Bathing the stone in fresh or salt water. Natural sources of water are preferable.
  • Setting the stone on top of a piece of selenite.
  • Playing music, chimes, bells, tuning forks, or singing bowls. If you do this, avoid placing your crystal directly in a singing bowl. The vibrations may cause it to crack or shatter.
  • Burying the rhodonite in cleansing herbs, sea salt, or a blend of both.

Getting Started With Rhodonite

Since rhodonite is chiefly used as an emotional healing tool, it’s important to take a lot of care when choosing one. No matter whether you’re using to heal yourself or others, it’s always best to pick a stone that you know resonates with your energy.

This crystal is found all over the world, so, if possible, try to source it from a miner local to you.

If you can, get your stones direct from the miners themselves — you’ll save money, have a better selection to choose from, and be able to avoid buying from places that source their stones unethically.

A pink rhodonite crystal with magical and metaphysical properties outdoors.

The best way to choose a good stone is to pick it up and explore its energy. Hold it in your non-dominant hand. Press it against your heart, your stomach, or your forehead. Close your eyes, and see what you feel.

You can experience a crystal’s energy in a variety of ways. It might feel like a buzz, tingle, or pulsation, or even a change in temperature. As long as it feels pleasant to hold, you’re good. Avoid any stone that makes you feel uncomfortable, sad, or anxious.

Any stone can have its energy affected by the mining, shipping, and selling process. Cleansing refers to setting a crystal back to its baseline, to prepare it to work. Once you’ve done this, you can begin using your rhodonite.

Many people carry this crystal as a pocket stone. Rhodonite is especially useful for this, since it’s pretty much tailor-made for people who need help keeping calm under duress.

Having a rhodonite in your pocket gives you the ability to hold it whenever you need to for some discreet emotional support.

You can also occasionally find this crystal cut and polished as beads or cabochons. Jewelry is a wonderful way to keep healing stones near you.

Since this crystal works for emotional healing, it’s best used as a pendant (near the heart) or earrings (near the brain). Just be careful — since it isn’t as hard as quartz, it can be more susceptible to chips, scratches, and other damage from hard wear.


Even though rhodonite doesn’t have a lot of folklore behind its use, it’s still a valuable stone to healers, lightworkers, and crystal aficionados.

If you’re looking for an ally to help you or others balance your emotions and keep a cool head, you can’t go wrong with this lovely, deep pink stone.


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