Amethyst
from the Antique Jewelry University
From all the quartz family members, amethyst is certainly the most coveted one. It has a color range from a deep purple with red flashes (known as Siberian amethyst) to a pale lilac with blue untertones which are termed Rose de France. These colors are the result of minor trace elements of ferric iron. As purple is a cardinal and regent color, one can find amethysts in many crown jewels as in the British and Russian crown jewels. Catherine the Great of Russia (1729-1796) had a great passion for amethysts as do Buddhists in Tibet, where they are fashioned to serve as rosaries. Although amethyst is not scarce in present time - due to the discovery of Brazilian deposits - it used to be a very rare stone of high value at certain points in history.
Unfortunatly amethyst (as most all quartz species) can be easily synthesized in a laboratory and these synthetics can be very hard to detect when the stone is free from inclusions.
Amethyst derived its name from the Greek word amethystos which can be loosely translated to "not drunken" as ancient Greeks believed it to be an antidote against intoxication. There are many mythological stories involving Dionysus (son of Zeus - known as Bacchus in Roman mythology) which influenced the belief that drunkeness could be avoided when drank from an amethyst goblet. Tourist guides in Ephesus (present day Turky) still narrate a story that amethyst goblets were used during negotians; the host would feed his guest wine while he drank water from an amethyst goblet, seemlingy drinking wine as well.
In ancient Egypt, soldiers used to wear amethyst to remain calm during battle and Persians, as well as Peruvians, believed amethyst could ward off witchcraft when the stone was carved with a sun symbol. In the late middle ages, Leonardo Da Vinci attributed the power of intelligence and the ability to dissipate evil thoughts to amethyst. Other metaphysical uses of amethyst include the stimulation of the thinking process, calming the mind, finding balance in life, exerting patience as well as battle addictions and compulsive behavior.
Amethyst is the gem for the month of February and for the zodiac sign Aquarius. It is the symbolic gemstone for the 6th wedding anniversary.
| Gemological information for amethyst | |
|---|---|
| Color | Purple to violet |
| Crystal structure | Trigonal |
| Refractive index | 1.544-1.553 |
| Durability | Excellent |
| Hardness | 7 |
| Family | Quartz |
| Similar stones | Amethys can be confused with purple sapphire, glass, imitation alexandrite and scapolite |
| Treatments | Heat treatment |
| Country of origin | South Africa, Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, Zambia, Myanmar, Canada, Mexico, Mamibia, Sri Lanka, India and The United States. |
| Amethyst care | |
| Ultrasonic cleaning | Safe |
| Steam cleaning | Safe |
| Warm soapy water | Safe |
| Chemical attack | None |
| Light sensitivity | May fade, usually safe |
| Heat sensitivity | May alter to citrine under extreme circumstances |