Amethyst

Overview
A lovely purple transparent semi-precious stone. Like all quartz, amethyst is a commonly used stone in metaphysical work. Amethyst is found in many parts of the world, but only a few countries provide the dark, good quality color.

About the Stone

Amethyst is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. The only difference between regular clear quartz and amethyst is the color, which is caused by iron and manganese that were present while the stone was forming. Amethyst is always a shade of purple, sometimes very light, other times very dark, and occasionally you will find red dots or red or blue hues in the stone.

Amethyst and citrine are closely related: citrine is formed when amethyst is exposed to heat when forming. Some people even call citrine "burnt amethyst". When citrine and amethyst are found together in one piece, it is called ametrine and is very sought after.

Amethyst is the birthstone for February and is mentioned under the astrological signs Pisces, Aries, Aquarius, and Sagittarius. Amethyst is found in Russia, India, Brazil, US, Canada, Australia, and South Korea.

Metaphysical Properties

Amethyst, like its rock crystal relative, is often used for meditation and cleansing. The word amethyst comes from Greek, and means “to not intoxicate”. It was traditionally used by Greeks and Romans as a way to keep themselves sober.

Amethyst has also been used to deal with insomnia, grief, and addictions. Some people believe amethyst strengthens the immune system.

Amethyst in Jewelry

Amethyst, because of its hardness and beautiful color is absolutely wonderful in jewelry! It is readily available at relatively low prices, even for high grade material.