What is Amethyst ?

Amethyst is a variety of quartz, with a color ranging from a light pink to a deep purple. Amethyst is about the same hardness as quartz and is commonly used in jewellery. It owes it`s violet color to the presence of iron impurities and trace elements. The more iron contain the stone has the deeper the color. Amethyst can fade in color if overexposed to sunlight and can be artificially darkened with adequate irradiation. The ideal grade of amethyst is called "deep Russian" and has a primary color of about 80% purple and a secondary color of about 20% blue. Green quartz is sometimes incorrectly called green amethyst, but it is simply quartz. 

 

There have been a number of miraculous powers attributed to amethyst down through the ages. It was thought to put the wearer in a chaste frame of mind and to symbolise trust and piety. For these reasons amethyst came to occupy a very prominet position in ornaments and rings of the catholic clergy over the centuries. It was the stone of bishops and cardinals, it was also used in the papal ring in the 15th century. The name amethyst comes from the Greek word "not drunk". Roman emperors are said to have made cups from amthyst in the belief that it would counteract any poison and also prevent them from getting drunk. While medieval European soldiers wore ametyst amulets as protection in battle and also in the belief that it would keep the level-headed.

 

Amethyst is found at many locations around the world. The most commercially important mines are in locations where there is volcanic rock. Today the largest producers of amethyst are Brazil and Uruguay. It is also commercially mined in Canada, Afghanistan, Austria, Germany, Greece and Madagascar, to name but a few. Amethyst is mined using underground mining. Many times it is found using drift mining. Drift mining is where the tunnels will be dug a little lower than the rock being mined. This makes it easier to get the materials out because gravity helps move them downhill. Amethyst is not normally found in veins, but in chunks attached to granite.

 

Up until the 18th century, amethyst was included in the cardinal gemstones ( diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald ). However since the discovery of extensive deposits in Brazil in the 19th century, it has lost most of it`s value. The amethyst bracelet of Queen Charlotte of England, which was so famous at the begining of the 18th century. Had an estimated value of £2,000 pounds sterling at the time, was worth only £100 pounds 200 years later.

 

Amethyst is ideal for any type of jewellery because it is considered both hard and durable. Amethyst stones are typically worn as pendants, necklaces or rings. Due to amethyst having a purple-violet color, which is the color of royalty and royalty has no gender preference. Therefore amethyst is an excellent choice of stone for a man or a woman. Amethyst is also a favorite for many jewelers because of the large sizes and shapes available. Amethyst is the most popular purple-violet colored gemstone on the market today.