Gemstones can be found in many different colors, some pure and clear, while others are complex and faceted in multiple colors. Gemstones have, throughout history and to the modern-day, been admired for their beauty and as an object of cultural importance.
Amethysts are used in jewelry for their lustrous purple color and many people believe they have spiritual and medicinal uses. Traditionally, an amethyst is dark purple and used to create a surround for diamonds, and it has significance as the birthstone for February.
Amethysts are versatile and attractive gemstones that are rich in symbolism. Over many millennia amethysts have been used to signify royal power and to keep people safe.
What is an amethyst?
Amethyst is a violet or purple quartz variety. Quartz is a very hard, nearly transparent crystalline mineral made from silicon and oxygen atoms in a crystal lattice.
Delicate amethysts are formed in the violent and hot depths of the earth. In igneous rock, they are formed by the slow cooling of lava, while geothermal vents can super-heat silicon-rich water causing amethysts to form as the water cools.
Plain quartz becomes an amethyst when silicon is replaced by trivalent iron during the process of forming the crystalline structure of the quartz. The more iron there is in the quartz and more consistently the silicone bonds with the oxygen, the darker and richer the violet color becomes.
Encased in rock, amethysts remain hidden deep underground until they are mined and brought to the surface. They are most commonly mined in Siberia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Canada.
What makes a good amethyst?
Amethysts are prized for their violet or purple color and like any precious stone, these semi-precious gemstones are considered more beautiful the deeper and more evenly they are colored. However, an amethyst that is too dark may look black when mounted or in dim lighting conditions.
Often the color in an Amethyst is layered or in stripes. This means the lapidary must skillfully select which part of the larger gemstone to cut and must cut it such a way that the color appears to be completely even.
Like a diamond, a good amethyst is eye-clean, meaning that there no imperfections in the stone in the form of cracks or irregularities in the crystal structure. An amethyst that has a very deep purple color is worth more than a clean stone, but a stone that is both purple and clean is the best.
A good amethyst is often cut into all the standard shapes and styles found in diamonds such as rounds, kites, ovals, pears, cushions, and marquises. A very good amethyst can also be cut into freeform or fantasy shapes because it is so evenly colored the lapidary can let their creativity run free.
What are amethysts used for?
Amethyst is very suitable for use in jewelry because it has a Mohs hardness rating of 7, will not break into cleavage lines if struck, and cannot be marked by iron. Amethyst can be the primary stone, but they are more likely to form a display to show off more precious stones such as diamonds.
The ancient Greeks believed the amethyst was formed by the tears of Dionysius the god of revelry, so they used amethyst to make cups that they believed would protect the user from drunkenness. Leonardo da Vinci believed amethysts could be worn to help achieve shrewdness in business.
Today, even though there is no scientific evidence that gemstones have healing or spiritual powers, the amethyst remains one of the most popular ‘healing stones.’ Millions of dollars are spent every year on tumbled stones, beads, and other amethyst items to purify and heal the wearer or the environment where the stones are placed.
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February and the zodiac sign of Aquarius. Birthstones are gemstones that are worn to represent a person’s birth and are often given as a sentimental gift to celebrate the special day.
Are amethysts a good investment?
Amethyst is the most valuable of the semi-precious stones and demand for the stone is always very high. It is logical, therefore, that there may be some investment value in amethysts.
However, amethysts are quite plentiful, it is only the very best, dark and eye-clean amethysts which have any real value. Because prices aren’t driven by scarcity in the same way as diamonds, rising value over time is not assured.
So unless you are an expert in gemstones who knows how to buy low and sell high, you are better off investing in amethyst mining shares.