Amethyst still ranks as the most expensive and desired variety of Quartz due to its unique natural deep purple body colour and exceptional clarity. The amount of iron within each stone determines how deep the colour is.Īs a gemstone, Amethyst was once as expensive as Emerald, and in the 19th century Brazil came to dominate the gemstone landscape with their huge scale mining operations that have long since diminished.
The colour comes from iron impurities within the stone, without which it would be colourless. Amethyst occurs in many shades, from a light, slightly lavender pinkish to a deep purple similar to that of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.Īmethyst can also be slightly pleochroic, which means that when light hits the gem, shades of different colours such as reds and blues can be seen from different angles. It is also the official gemstone for the 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries, and features a trigonal crystal system. AMETHYST GEMSTONE INFORMATIONĪmethyst is the birthstone of February, and is the official gemstone for Wednesday. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that Amethyst quickens the intelligence and helped to dissipate evil thoughts. The patron saint of romantic love wore an Amethyst ring carved with the image of Cupid, and this lead to Amethyst becoming a birthstone for the month of February. When mines are eventually exhausted prices tend to increase, and as new deposits are found, gemstone prices generally decrease.Īmethyst is steeped in a rich and romantic history owing to its association with St Valentine. This provides a good example of how the value of genuine gemstones (just like the stock market) can go up and down based on supply and demand. However, shortly after this a new discovery of Amethyst deposits was made in Brazil, which dramatically reduced the value of the Queen’s bracelet. Amethyst was also known as a personal favourite of Catherine the Great.Ī bracelet worn by Queen Charlotte of England in the early 1700s was valued at £200 at that time. Over the years, along with its use by the Church, the gem has also been cherished by royalty and several pieces can be found in the British Crown Jewels. With its association with piety and celibacy, Amethyst has been set into rings and worn by Cardinals, Bishops and Priests of the Catholic Church since the Middle Ages. Legend says his tears turned the colourless Quartz purple, thus creating Amethyst.Īmethyst is mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and was also one of the twelve gemstones adorning the breastplate of the high priest Aaron (Exodus 39). Humbled by Amethystos’ resolution, and horrified at what he had almost done to her, he wept tears of wine. Before they reached her, Diana turned her into a statue of pure crystalline Quartz to protect her from the advancing tigers. Dionysus let loose fierce tigers while Amethystos was on her way to pray to the goddess Diana. One legend from Greek mythology tells the tale of Dionysus, the god of intoxication, and a young beautiful maiden, named Amethystos, who refused his advances. While pouring wine for their guests they could serve themselves water, as the dark purple hue of the gem would disguise the colour of the drink so it looked like wine, thus allowing the lord appear to be partaking in a tipple!įollowing the same theme, it was thought in ancient times if you wished to save a drunkard from delirium you could mix crushed Amethyst into a person’s drink. In ancient times, wealthy lords who wanted to stay sober were said to have had drinking glasses or goblets made from Amethyst. THE HISTORY OF AMETHYSTĪmethyst’s use in rudimentary jewellery can be traced back as far as the Neolithic period (approximately 4,000 BC), and samples of it set into gold rings have been uncovered in burial sites from around 2,400 BC.Īmethyst is the name given to purple Quartz and some believe that its name derives from the Greek word ‘Amethustos’, ‘a’ meaning ‘not’ and ‘methustos’ meaning ‘to intoxicate’.
With a fascinating history and so much colour, let's explore more facts about Amethyst and its varieties.
Known for having eye clean clarity in many specimens and for being readily available in generous carat weights, Amethyst remains one of the most popular gemstones on the market. The gem perfectly showcases all that this mineral has to offer, across a variety of hues from delicate light pinks to deep dark purples. Amethyst is the flag bearer for the Quartz family of gemstones, which also includes Citrine and Prasiolite.
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