Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz that has been treasured for its color and mystical properties for thousands of years. The name “amethyst” comes from the Ancient Greek, meaning “not intoxicated,” as it was believed that the stone could prevent drunkenness if worn. Throughout history, amethyst has been associated with royalty, spirituality, sobriety, and peace.
This semiprecious gemstone is found in many locations across the globe and has long been used in jewelry and ornamentation. Amethyst is the traditional birthstone for February and is also used to celebrate 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries. It is believed by many to have healing powers and protective energies. Some say that it can initiate wisdom, increase intelligence, and control evil thoughts. Many believe that it guards against psychic attack and harmful electromagnetic energy.
The most widely available and commonly used type of amethyst is the purple variety. Ranging from light to dark hues, purple amethyst is cut into many shapes and styles for use in jewelry. It is readily available for faceting, cabochon cutting, tumbling, and bead making. The vibrant purple color has made this form of quartz a timeless favorite for adornment. Amethyst continues to intrigue gem enthusiasts and spiritual seekers alike with its regal color, sublime structure, and legendary powers.
Amethyst’s Formation and Geologic Origins
Amethyst belongs to the macrocrystalline branch of the quartz mineral group. It forms when silica-saturated fluids inside cavities and geodes within igneous or metamorphic host rocks slowly crystallize into prismatic amethyst crystal points and druzy crusts.
Where is Amethyst Found?
Amethyst is found on every continent and is sourced commercially from locations including:
- Brazil
- Zambia
- Uruguay
- Mexico
- Canada
- United States (Arizona, North Carolina, Texas)
- Russia
- Italy
- South Korea
- Germany
Some localities produce amethyst geodes lined with purple crystal points up to several feet long. These extraordinary geodes are eagerly sought by collectors.
The Vibrant Colors of Amethyst
The vivid purple hues that define this quartz variety arise from natural irradiation along with the presence of trace elements like iron during crystal formation. The saturation of color can vary from pale lavender to deep reddish-purple.
What Causes the Purple Color?
The iron impurities and radioactive elements produce color centers in the crystalline structure when the crystals are forming within the earth. The natural radioactivity leads to an iron-based irradiation process that gives amethyst its characteristic colors.
Amethyst Color Zoning
Colors are often unevenly distributed in amethyst crystals, with alternating color zones of lighter and darker purple. Gem cutters must orient their cuts to maximize color saturation. Overexposure to light can cause the purple hues to fade over time.
Physical Properties and Crystal Habits
Amethyst crystals form in highly organized atomic lattices that yield identifiable habits and traits. Some key physical properties:
- Composition: Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
- Crystal system: Trigonal
- Habit: Prismatic to tabular crystals; also massive, botryoidal
- Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
- Density: 2.65 g/cm3
- Cleavage: None
- Fracture: Conchoidal
- Luster: Vitreous
Well-developed amethyst crystals exhibit striated prism faces often capped by six-sided pyramidal terminations. The long prism faces may be skewed into steep rhombohedral faces, giving many crystals a trigonal outline.
Twinned or sceptered amethyst crystals displaying overgrowths and skewing are highly valued by collectors.
Comparison Table of Amethyst with Some Other Popular Gemstones
Gemstone | Hardness | Color Varieties | Sources | Price per Carat | Jewelry Uses |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amethyst | 7 | Light to dark purple | Brazil, Africa, North America, Asia | $5-$50 | Rings, pendants, bracelets |
Emerald | 7.5-8 | Green | Colombia, Zambia, Brazil | $100-$5000 | Rings, necklaces, earrings |
Ruby | 9 | Red, pink | Myanmar, Thailand, Africa | $100-$5000 | Rings, pendants, earrings |
Sapphire | 9 | Blue, pink, yellow, green | Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia | $25-$5000 | Rings, pendants, earrings |
Aquamarine | 7.5-8 | Blue, green-blue | Brazil, Africa, Pakistan | $10-$1000 | Rings, pendants, earrings |
Citrine | 7 | Yellow to brownish | Brazil, Africa, Spain | $5-$30 | Pendants, earrings, bracelets |
Garnet | 6.5-7.5 | Red, green, yellow, brown | Africa, India, Russia | $10-$500 | Rings, pendants, cufflinks |
Opal | 5.5-6 | Multicolor | Australia, Ethiopia | $50-$5000 | Rings, pendants, bracelets |
Quartz | 7 | Colorless, purple, pink | Worldwide | Under $10 | All types of jewelry |
Key Differences:
- Amethyst is relatively abundant compared to rarer gems like emerald and ruby, keeping its price modest.
- It has less hardness than sapphire and ruby, making it more suitable for protected jewelry settings versus daily wear rings.
- Its color range and variety is narrower than gems like sapphire that occur in every hue.
- But amethyst remains uniquely regal and beautiful, with purple hues unmatched in the gem world.
Amethyst Crystal Healing Properties
Amethyst has been attributed with an array of mystical and healing properties by cultures across the world. It’s considered one of the premier spiritual stones.
Physical and Emotional Healing
Amethyst purportedly heals physical ailments affecting the nervous system, digestive tract, heart, cells, endocrine system, skin, and bones. Emotionally, it helps free the mind of negative thoughts and brings calmness to turbulent situations.
Spiritual Protection
It’s said to protect against psychic attack while strengthening the aura. Within the home, it wards off geopathic stress. Amethyst helps create an enhanced meditative state and brings spiritual insights.
Mind and Cognitive Boosts
This crystal initiates wisdom and intuition, and enhances memory and focus. It’s known as the “sobriety stone” and thought to prevent drunkenness. Amethyst enhances psychic abilities while keeping you grounded.
Emotional Balance
Amethyst promotes peace, stability, courage, and inner strength. It boosts production of hormones, and balances energy throughout the endocrine system and metabolism. Psychologically, amethyst helps rid obsessive and compulsive behaviors.
Using Amethyst for Healing
There are many ways to leverage amethyst’s healing properties:
- Place clusters in meditation spaces to amplify intuitive states
- Wear as jewelry over the third eye or crown chakra for spiritual protection
- Hold palm stones during energy work like Reiki or reflexology
- Position near electronics to counter electromagnetic radiation
- Place pieces under your pillow to promote pleasant dreams
- Drink elixir water infused with amethyst gemstones
Combining amethyst with clear quartz amplifies the healing effects. Amethyst also pairs well with stones like carnelian, citrine, and tourmaline.
Amethyst in Jewelry Settings
The vibrant colors and crystalline brilliance of amethyst have made it a prized adornment gem for jewelry settings:
Popular Cuts for Jewelry
- Round
- Oval
- Pear
- Trillion
- Emerald
- Marquise
- Baguette
- Princess
- Cabochon
Everyday Amethyst Jewelry
Deep purple amethyst blends strikingly with white metals like silver, platinum, and white gold. Rose gold also pairs exceptionally well with purple hues. Everyday amethyst jewelry includes:
- Rings
- Pendants
- Earrings
- Bracelets
- Necklaces
For men, popular amethyst jewelry includes rings, bracelets, and black cord necklaces.
Amethyst Engagement Rings
While not a traditional choice like diamond, deep purple amethyst makes for stunning center stones for those seeking an alternative gem for engagement rings. Surrounded by accent diamonds or colorless sapphires, an oval amethyst can give a ring majestic splendor.
Amethyst in Feng Shui
In feng shui applications, amethyst transforms negative energy into positive vibrations. It’s an excellent cure for the north Bagua area (career). Amethyst feng shui uses:
- Place druzy geodes in north Bagua areas to promote career luck and success.
- Add carved amethyst pyramids to office desks to magnify leadership qualities.
- Use faceted amethyst spheres and crystals by the main entrance to protect the home’s energy.
Amethyst Crystal Grids
Amethyst is ideal for use in sacred geometry grids due to its spiritual enhancing properties:
- Surround citrine and cleanse other crystals by placing them in the center of an amethyst grid
- Layer amethyst, lepidolite, and black tourmaline to create a calming sleep grid under your bed
- Combine amethyst with rose quartz at the four cardinal points to make a love and harmony grid
Empower the grids by directing your intentions into the stones while in a meditative state.
Amethyst Geodes and Clusters
Amethyst geodes lined with brilliant crystals are among the most striking displays from the mineral realm. Amethyst clusters also make exceptionally uplifting crystal décor.
Geode Uses
- Place amethyst geodes in living rooms, family rooms, and home offices to instill peaceful, soothing energies.
- For more vitality, position amethyst geodes in central rooms and hallways where their energies can flow openly.
- Large geodes can be incorporated into indoor water features and fountains for a dramatic effect.
Amethyst Cluster Uses
- Add small clusters to houseplants and indoor gardens to stimulate growth.
- Surround bed canopies with dangling amethyst clusters for pleasant dreams.
- Place clusters in bathrooms and kitchens for cleansing the energy of those spaces.
Amethyst Crystal Tumbles and Palm Stones
Tumbled amethyst pieces make ideal worry and meditation stones that can be carried anywhere for their calming and spiritual influences:
Amethyst Tumble Uses
- Rub tumbled amethyst over areas experiencing pain or place in painful hands or under feet to relieve discomfort.
- Make a healing elixir by placing tumbled amethyst in water left under sunlight.
- Sprinkle small amethyst tumbles around houseplants to stimulate their vitality and health.
Amethyst Palm Stone Uses
- Hold palm stones during meditation to amplify spiritual states.
- Grip palm stones when needing an emotional balancing influence.
- Place an amethyst palm stone over the third eye chakra during intuitive work.
- Carry a palm stone in a medicine pouch for ongoing protection.
Amethyst Obelisks and Pyramids
Amethyst obelisks and pyramids hold unique energy due to their tapered columnar and symmetrical pyramidal shapes:
Amethyst Obelisk Uses
- Place obelisks in home entryways to protect and uplift spaces.
- Position on office desks to instill leadership qualities and decisiveness.
- Bury obelisks at the four corners of a property perimeter to ward off negative external energies.
Amethyst Pyramid Uses
- Meditate with a pyramid base placed over the third eye to stimulate inner visions.
- Point the tip facing out over the entrances of rooms or homes to protect from psychic and environmental harm.
- Place a pyramid in bathrooms and kitchens when renovating to guard against dysfunctional energies accumulating.
Amethyst Carvings and Ornaments
Amethyst has long been fashioned into ornamental carvings and figurines due to the ease of working its crystalline structure. Some carving purposes:
- Buddha carvings for altars – induces tranquility
- Animal totems and power animal carvings for spiritual guidance
- Wands and scepters to direct and channel energy
- Egg, sphere, skull, and pyramid carvings to activate as feng shui cures
- Pendulums for divination and communicating with the ethereal realm
Beautifully carved amethyst ornaments make ideal gifts, especially for February birthdays.
Identifying Synthetic and Treated Amethyst
Most amethyst today is genuine, but buyers should know how to spot diffused, synthetic, and imitation amethyst:
Diffused Amethyst
Diffusion treatment gives amethyst paler colors by heating it and infusing trace amounts of iron into surface-reaching fractures. Signs are flat color zonation visible beneath facets or irregular patches of color concentrated around fractures.
Synthetic Amethyst
“Created”, lab-grown amethyst has nearly identical physical properties to natural but tends be more color consistent with fewer imperfections. Distinguishing synthetics requires advanced testing.
Imitation Amethyst
Plastic and glass amethyst simulants exhibit lower density, less hardness and different light transmission than true amethyst, but chemical tests can be required for definite identification.
Amethyst Crystal Meanings
Throughout history, ancient civilizations marveled over amethyst’s alluring colors and crystalline structures, attributing this captivating gem with symbolic significance and mystical powers:
Ancient Greece
The Ancient Greeks were among the first to esteem amethyst, believing it protected against intoxication. Greek royalty drank from amethyst goblets and wore the stone. The Greek term “amethystos” translate to “not drunken.”
Christianity
During the Middle Ages, Christian bishops wore amethyst jewelry to symbolize piety. European cathedrals featured amethyst ornamentation, and the stone signified the sacrifice of Christ.
Tibetan Buddhism
In Tibetan Buddhism, amethyst boosts meditative abilities and awakens the Third Eye chakra. Purple represents the pursuit of enlightenment and compassion.
Feng Shui
In feng shui, amethyst perfects the metal element needed for cleansing and purification. It activates wealth corners and success areas.
February Birthstone
As the traditional birthstone for February, amethyst represents captivating beauty, mystical wisdom, and sacred relationships. It’s given for 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.
Frequently Asked Questions about Amethyst
What causes the purple color in amethyst?
The purple color results from trace amounts of iron within the crystal structure and natural irradiation of the iron atoms during crystal formation. This irradiation produces color centers that impart the characteristic purple hues.
Does amethyst fade in sunlight?
Over very long periods of exposure, sunlight can cause the purple color of amethyst to lighten or fade. But normal wear of amethyst jewelry does not pose substantial risk of fading.
Is amethyst expensive?
Compared to rare gems like emerald and ruby, amethyst is very affordable. Price ranges from $5 to $50 per carat based on color saturation and gem cut quality. Its relative abundance keeps amethyst accessible.
What jewelry metal looks best with amethyst?
Silvery metals like sterling silver, white gold, and platinum provide an elegant contrast against purple amethyst’s rich hues. Yellow gold also pairs nicely. For men’s jewelry, black cords work well with amethyst.
How should I clean my amethyst jewelry?
Use a gentle jewelry cleaner or mild soap and warm water, along with a soft brush to remove dirt buildup. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are okay for cleaning amethyst. Avoid harsh chemicals and high heat.
Where are the best places to buy amethyst?
Reputable online gem and jewelry sellers offer quality amethyst pieces. Local jewelers are another option. At rock shops, you can find rough amethyst and mineral specimens.
Is amethyst a birthstone?
Yes, amethyst is the traditional birthstone for February and is also linked astrologically with Pisces. It’s the gemstone for 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.
What chakra is associated with amethyst?
The crown chakra at the top of the head and the third eye chakra on the forehead are most affiliated with amethyst and its mystical, spiritual properties.
How can I use amethyst crystals at home?
Display geodes and clusters in meditation areas, bedrooms, entryways or offices. Place palm stones by beds or appliances. Make elixirs to ingest the crystal energies inwardly.
Conclusion
From geodes lined with brilliant crystals to faceted lavender gems, amethyst remains one of the mineral realm’s most regal treasures, as intriguing today as it was to ancient civilizations. This complete guide illuminated amethyst’s various forms, explained its geologic origins, surveyed healing properties, evaluated jewelry uses, and revealed the meanings behind its captivating purple hues. Amethyst continues to entrance gem lovers with its visual splendor, mythical energies, and enduring mystique.
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