| Amethyst is the birthstone of
February.
 Purple
has long been considered a royal colour so it is not surprising
that amethyst has been so much in demand during history. Fine
amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were
also a favourite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty.
Amethyst, transparent purple quartz, is the most important
quartz variety used in jewelry.
Leonardo
Da Vinci wrote that amethyst was able to dissipate evil thoughts
and quicken the intelligence.
 Because
amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolise piety,
amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of Catholic
and other churches in the Middle Ages. It was, in particular,
considered to be the stone of bishops and they still often
wear amethyst rings. Rosaries are often fashioned from Amethyst.
In Tibet,
amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha.
 The
Greek work "amethystos" basically can be translated
as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be
a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets
were often carved from it! The gemstone still symbolises sobriety.
The legend
of the origin of amethyst comes from Greek myths. Dionysius,
the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult
from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that
crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his
wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young
maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana
turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz
to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears
of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful
statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating
the gem we know today.
Amethyst
ranges in colour from pale lilac to deep purple. The pale
colours are sometimes called "Rose de France" and
can be seen set in Victorian jewelry. The deep colours are
the most valuable, particularly a rich purple with rose flashes.
Amethyst
is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina, as well
as in Zambia, Namibia and other African countries.
Generally,
amethyst from South America tends to be available in larger
sizes than African amethyst but amethyst from Africa has the
reputation for having better, more saturated, colour in small
sizes. Very dark amethyst, mostly in small sizes, is also
mined in Australia.
Amethyst
is available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes,
including many fancy shapes. Large fine stones may be sold
in free sizes but generally amethyst is cut in standardised
dimensions.
|
