Gemstones - Background and Lore - Amethyst

Amethyst has been the most prized member of the quartz family. Early Greek mythology, and its wine purple color, linked amethyst with the god of wine, Bacchus. Other beliefs include amethysts kept their wearers clear minded in battle and business.

One of the original sources of amethyst is Russia, but newer deposits were discovered in South America, Namibia, Sri Lanka, United States, Uruguay, Zambia, and India. Amethyst comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors. The colors range from light lavendar to luxurious purple. Amethyst's royal purple tones are considered the finest color.

Amethyst is the birthstone for February and is associated with the zodiac Pisces. It is believed to increase vivid dreams, relieve depression, promote calm, serenity, and spirituality. It is also believed to help with addiction and stress.

Amethysts are rated a 7 on the Moh's Scale of Hardness, and it has good toughness.
Amethyst can fracture or the color can be altered with severe temperature changes. And some amethysts may fade when exposed to prolonged light.
Amethyst may be damaged by hydrofluoric acid, ammonium fluoride, and alkalies

Some amethysts are treated with heat to lighten color or produce citrine or green quartz.

To clean amethyst, steam cleaning is NOT recommended. Ultrasonic cleaning is usually safe, but warm, soapy water is best.

Some other alternatives to amethyst include Iolite, Rhodolite garnet, Sapphire, Spinel, Tanzanite, Topaz, and Tourmaline.

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Purple Gemstones

March Specials
15% off of purple gemstones – iolite, amethyst, tanzanite, spinel, purple sapphire, and lavender chalcedony.

Somewhere between the passion of red and the calmness of blue lies the mystery of purple. Those with a passion for purple are creative and spiritually in tune with life. As a combination of red and blue, people who pick purple as their favorite can be balanced, yet exciting or steadfast yet vivacious. Those attracted to softer purples such as lilac and lavender describe themselves as refined and romantic. Express your royal nature with effervescent purple gems like amethyst, iolite, and tanzanite. Relax into sensual pastel hues with pastel Purple Sapphire or Lavender chalcedony. Unleash your inner Goddess by adding purple gems to your wardrobe.

Here is some useful information on popular purple gems:

Amethyst is February's birthstone. Early Greek legend, and its purple wine color, associated amethyst with Bacchus, the god of wine. Other legends led to beliefs that amethyst gems kept their wearers clear headed and quick witted. Russia and South America is where most amethyst can be found. It ranges in color from pale lilac to rich purple. Amethyst is a 7 on the Moh's Hardness Scale, and it has good hardness. The safest way to clean amethyst is with warm soapy water.

Iolite gets its name from the Greek word for violet. And Iolites shades range from cool shades to dark blue and violet. It is transparent to translucent and pleochroic - this means that it shows different colors from different angles. From some angles it can look colorless, gray, violet, or yellow. This optical property allows the gem to act as a strong light polarizing filter, a feature that Viking navigators found useful. Iolite is a 7-7.5 on the Moh's scale and has fair toughness. It is best to use warm soapy water to clean this gem.

Tanzanite is a relatively new gemstone that first turned up in 1962 in Northern Tanzania. Tanzanite is often heat treated to achieve colors that include light to dark violetish blue and bluish purple. It is a special-care gem for 2 reasons: sensativity to thermal shock and the potential for cracking. Tanzanite is best in jewelry pieces that won't be too exposed to accidental bumps - such as earrings or pendants. It is a 6-7 on the Mohs scale and the toughness is fair to poor due to potential cracking and thermal shock.

Some other purple gems that I will discuss in another blog are purple sapphires, purple spinel, and lavender chalcedony.