

As a result, the price of amethyst was brought down significantly. However, in the 18th century, explorers found a lot of the stone in Latin America. People used to think that amethyst was as valuable as diamond, ruby, and emerald. If you drank from a small cup, you might not get as drunk. Because amethyst was so expensive back then, any cup made from it would have been very small.


The word “amethyst” comes from the ancient Greek word “amethystos,” which means “to make drunk.” The Greeks thought that if the stone was made into a cup or put inside one, it would keep people from getting drunk. All through the stone, the colors change. It is often used in jewelry and comes in many different shades of purple, from light pink-purple to deep, dark purple. What Is AmethystĪmethyst is purple quartz and a silicate (SiO2). In this article we’ll take a closer look at how amethyst is formed in nature and just how exactly it gets that beautiful purple color. This fascinating and mysterious variety of quartz has a lot to teach us! It has been used to make expensive jewelry as well as inexpensive keepsakes for kids at local fairs. Deep purple Siberian Amethyst is no longer available, although 'Siberian' is often incorrectly used to describe any intensely coloured Amethyst.Deep purple amethyst, a type of quartz, is one of the most sought-after stones in the world. Uruguayan Amethyst is noted for its spectacular beauty. Brazil is currently the most well-known source, and the first Brazilian Amethysts arrived in Europe in 1727. Source of Amethystįound on every continent in varying amounts, Amethyst can vary depending on its origin. As it's a popular gem with gemstone cutters and jewellers, you'll find more different shapes and cuts of Amethyst than you will for many other gems. Amethyst crystals occur with reasonably few inclusions, so the standard is eye-clean, with no visible inclusions when the gem is examined 15 cm from the naked eye. The most valuable Amethysts are medium to dark toned, transparent and pure violet with no shading toward red or blue, although blue or red flashes are desirable and highly coveted. Composition of AmethystĪ variety of macrocrystalline (large crystal) Quartz (from the Saxon 'querklufterz', meaning cross-vein-ore) that occurs in transparent pastel roses to deep purples, Amethyst owes its colours to iron.Ĭolour is Amethyst's most important consideration, with the deeper shades commanding higher prices. Collapsing as his tears dripped into his goblet, its contents splashed onto the statue, creating the purple gem we call Amethyst. While protected from harm, unfortunately the spell couldn't be reversed, causing a guilt-ridden Dionysus to weep tears of sorrow. Unimpressed by Dionysus's shenanigans, all-seeing Diana quickly turned Amethyst into a Quartz statue. As Amethyst screamed, Dionysus filled his goblet ready for the main event, maiden versus tiger. The unlucky woman was Amethyst, and a big fan of the goddess Diana, followed by two hungry tigers courtesy of Dionysus. Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine (or Bacchus to ancient Romans) was upset after being shunned by a passing mortal so he swore revenge on the next unfortunate soul to cross his path. The story of how Amethyst came to be is as follows.
