Amethyst

What is Amethyst?

Amethyst is a quartz in shades of purple, lilac or mauve.  Quartz is the name of a group of minerals which all have the same chemical composition and physical properties. It is found in alluvial deposits, many of which are in Brazil.

History

Amethyst jewellery was particularly popular in the late 19th Century

Folklore

Amethyst is worn traditionally in order to prevent drunkenness and to ensure a sober mind. If worn while sleeping, it is supposed to reduce anger and impatience. It is associated with the God Bacchus. The name Amethyst means ‘not drunken’ (Greek).

Mythological sources state that the Amethyst inspires a love of duty and devotion to high ideas. It is for those reasons that many hundreds of years ago, it was designated as one of the main ecclesiastical rings and is born by Bishops in modern times.

The Amethyst is said to be Saint Valentine’s favourite stone.

The birth stone for February is the Amethyst. And so it is, with the Emerald, the suggested stone for Pisceans. It is supposed to bring luck, wit and health as a birthstone. “In fitful February, it’s a verity that the Amethyst denotes sincerity’

In modern timed the Amethyst has been associated with the 33rd wedding anniversary.

Care

Like all quartzes, Amethysts are made of tough material which is hard wearing. However, care should be taken with Amethyst which can be faded by the sun.

Amethysts should be washed in warm soapy water, rinsed, wiped dry and then left to dry completely on a towel.

Caring for Amethyst  (Summary)

•    Keep away from sunlight
•    Wash in warm soapy water
•    Rinse with clear water
•    Wipe dry and leave on towel.

Techical

Amethyst is quartz – all quartzes have the chemical composition Si02.

Amethyst is a ‘hard’ stone measuring (7) on the Mohs scale. It has a density of 2.65.

Amethyst has distinctive inclusions which can look like thumb prints or feathers. The tinge of the stone varies between a bluish or reddish purple according to the angle from which it is viewed. The tinge also varies according to the source of the stone – i.e. Amethyst from Russia has a reddish tinge and that from Canada has a violet tinge.