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Amethyst
Facts, Information and Description
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. See the birthstone table for additional references to this stone on alternative birthstone charts. 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 below about incorrectly named "green amethyst".
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.
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.
"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. Properly, after treatment, this stone 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 is found in geodes and alluvial deposits all over the world and occurs in both crystalline or massive forms. It is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
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Folklore, Legend and 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.
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