All About Amethyst!

•What is amethyst?
Amethyst is a purple form of transparent quartz that is one of the world’s most popular gemstones. It is used as the February birthstone and also as the commemorative gemstone for the 6th wedding anniversary.

•Where is amethyst found?
Much of the world’s amethyst is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Zambia. Brazilian amethyst is notable for its rich color and consistent clarity. Amethyst is also mined in the Ural Mountains of Russia (this amethyst has a red tint); the United States; India; Germany; Madagscar; Australia; and Canada (Canadian amethyst has blue undertones).

•Color
Amethyst occurs in the complete range of the color purple, from pale lavender and lilac to a deep purple, sometimes containing undertones of red. Some of the violet varieties of amethyst have a bluish tinge.

•Shape
Amethyst is cut into all the faceted gemstone shapes: round brilliant, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, heart, square, trillion, and fantasy. Amethyst is also cut into cabochons, carved into cameos and figurines, and fashioned into beads of varying shapes.

•Durability
Amethyst is a relatively durable stone and can be cut, polished, set, and cleaned with relative safety. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs Scale. Very strong heat, however, can actually lighten the color of amethyst and, as with other stones with natural cleavage lines, sudden temperature changes can cause fracturing, cracking, or even shattering. Excessive exposure to sunlight can also cause amethyst to fade.

•Quality
As with many other semiprecious gemstones, the quality of an individual amethyst stone is determined by both the intensity of its color and the number and size of its inclusions. The highest quality amethysts are deeply and evenly colored, with few or no internal inclusions (flaws). The lowest grade amethysts are pale lavender in color and filled with inclusions, some of which may easily be seen with the unaided eye. Lower grade amethyst is often cut and polished into beads for stringing since high grade, more expensive stones are not really necessary for a strand consisting of dozens of individual beads.

•Legend and lore
Legend has it that amethyst was created by Bacchus, the god of wine. One day Bacchus got so fed up with mortals that he swore that he would feed to the tigers the next human to cross his path. This unfortunate mortal happened to be a maiden named Amethyst, who would unwittingly cross Bacchus’ path on her way to worship the goddess Diana. Diana outsmarted Bacchus, however, and changed Amethyst into a pillar of colorless quartz to protect her. Bacchus was so amazed by Diana’s miracle that he poured his wine over Amethyst, changing her color to purple, and thus, the gemstone amethyst was created. This legend gave rise to the belief that wearing amethyst would protect a person from drunkenness, from dying by poisoning, and also assure sober judgement. In addition, amethyst worn by a person born under the astrological sign of Pisces is supposed to protect the wearer from making ill-advised decisions based on emotion instead of logic.

•Care
Amethyst can safely be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning machine with standard ammonia-based jewelry cleaner. For home cleaning, soak the piece in jewelry cleaner, rinse under hot (not scalding) water, and dry with a soft cloth. Dishwashing detergent mixed with hot water and a splash of ammonia will do in a pinch if you don’t have any jewelry cleaner.