February Birthstone : Amethyst

Did you Know?

• Amethyst is purple variety of the mineral quartz.
• Amethyst comes from Greek and it means sober, not drunken.

• It must always be purple in order to be an amethyst, but it can have a wide range of purple shades.
• The structure of amethyst is long prismatic crystals that have a six sided pyramid at either end.
• Amethyst is often cut as brilliant round cuts because it succeeds in maximizing the color.
• The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst has been used for a very long time to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers.

• Amethyst is considered a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors.
• A large Amethyst is among the closely guarded gemstones in the British Crown Jewels.
• Deposits of this gemstone are found in Brazil, Canada, Australia, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka; and in the United States.

• It is said to strengthen the bond in a love relationship, so it is an ideal anniversary or engagement gem.
• The darker more intense colors are more valuable than the lighter smoky or lavender color.
• One of the largest cut amethysts in the world is 343 carats and is housed at the National History Museum in London.
• Amethyst has a hardness of 7 on Moh’s scale.
  
• Amethyst had a sobering effect on those “drunk” on love’s passion.

• Amethyst is symbolic of piety, spirituality, and a devotion to God, so rich purple gemstones are used worldwide to ornament churches and crosses used in religious ceremony, and they frequently found in the rings and on the rosaries worn by bishops and priests.

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Tags: amethyst, birthstone, birthstone properties, february birthstone, gemstones, quartz