Beautiful amethyst jewelry has long been pleasing jewelry lovers with its sparkle, value and lovely violet hue. Amethyst is the name given to purple quartz. While purple quartz is fairly common, it is much harder to find purple quartz of sufficient quality to produce amethyst jewelry. The lower quality stones are usually used for beads, bookends or fill-a-bag type stones.
Amethysts range in color from light lilac to dark purple. A Siberian amethyst is the name given to a particular red-purple hue sometimes encountered in these gemstones. This stone’s color can be affected by heat, and an amethyst subjected to temperatures over 750 degrees Fahrenheit can actually turn yellow.
This stone was once considered a precious gemstone, along with diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire, but rich deposits were discovered in South America in the 19thcentury, and today it is counted among the semi-precious gemstones. Most of today’s amethyst hails from Uruguay or Brazil, although the stone is mined in spots around the globe, like South Africa, Russia and India.
Ancient people once believed that amethyst could prevent people from becoming intoxicated. Cups were made of amethyst, with the belief that people who drank alcoholic beverages from them would not become drunk. As a matter of fact, the gem’s name derives from a Greek word that means “not drunk.”
Amethyst is the birthstone for February, and makes a wonderful gift for anyone born in that month, for anyone who loves purple, or someone who likes a variety of genuine gem stones to match with different outfits. This type of jewelry can be given as a birthday gift, but also makes a wonderful present for Valentine’s or Sweetest Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Graduation or any other gift giving occasion. Also, colorful engagement rings are becoming more and more popular, and this beautiful violet stone makes a stunning and unexpected engagement ring.