Amethyst is the official birthstone
for February as adopted by the American National Association
of Jewelers in 1912. It is also the birth stone for the Zodiac
sign of Pisces. Amethyst is suggested as a gem to give on the
4th, 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.
Amethyst
is the purple variety of quartz and the most valued member
of the quartz family. It must be purple to be amethyst, but
it can display a range of shades including deep purple, light
lilac, lavender and mauve. Top quality amethyst is a deep
medium purple with rose-colored flashes. Its purple color
made it a stone of royalty for many thousands of years. See
note about incorrectly named "green amethyst."
"Green amethyst" is a misnomer since the term "amethyst" applies
only to the purple variety of quartz. However, that doesn't
stop the marketing of these less valuable pale amethyst stones
after irradiation and/or heat treatments turn the color green.
This fact is not meant to imply that "green amethyst" is
not a beautiful stone, because it it very attractive.
Properly,
after treatment, this green variety should be marketed as
Prasiolite or Green Quartz, not green amethyst, and it should
not be marketed as "rare" since there is an abundance
of pale lavender quartz which can be treated to produce a
light spring green stone.
Amethyst can occur as crystals that are
six sided on either end. It also forms as drusy which are crystalline
crusts covering the host rock. It is found inside geodes and
in alluvial deposits all around the world and occurs in both
crystalline or massive forms. When manganese is present in
clear quartz amethyst is produced, while the amount of iron
contained in the specimen accounts for the depth of purple.
Mohs scale of hardness is 7.
Most amethyst gemstones on the market today are heat-treated
to produce a deeper color. Heat treating is permanent and
these stones will not fade over time. Unless otherwise stated,
assume that any amethyst you purchase today has been heat
treated to increase the depth of color. Also, note that most
citrine available on the market today is actually heat treated
amethyst.
Amethyst Folklore, Legend & Healing Properties:
Throughout history amethyst has been used to guard against
drunkenness and is thought to be helpful in overcoming addiction.
It has been used for hearing disorders, insomnia, headaches
and other pain. Some sources suggest it is used to stabilize
mental disorders.
Worn to make the wearer gentle and amiable. Amethyst powers
include: dreams, healing, peace, love, spiritual upliftment,
courage, psychism, protection against thieves, and happiness.
Art,
Passion, and Life
