Gemstone Of the month of February: Amethyst

Amethyst is one of the most precious and valuable stones belonging to the quartz group of minerals, with exception to rare blue-green gem silica. Amethyst belongs to the microcrystalline branch of quartz and owes its violet/purple color to iron and aluminum impurities. Without such coloring agents, amethyst would simply be transparent, ordinary colorless quartz. Amethyst is the violet-colored sister stone of golden citrine quartz. Color-zone ametrine is the bicolored combination of both amethyst and citrine. The only difference between amethyst and citrine is the level of iron impurities in amethyst. When amethyst is heated at high temperatures of around 470ºC to 750ºC, iron impurities are reduced and can turn violet amethyst into golden 'heated' citrine. Lower grade amethyst stones are often heated to produce golden colored citrine stones. Heated citrine will typically appear more reddish when compared to unheated citrine. Since purple is considered to be one of the royal colors, amethyst has a historical importance as an insignia of power. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and they were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst also holds a high place in the ranks of the Christian church and was referred to as "the stone of bishops". The Greek word "amethystos" translates into "not drunken" and it was often worn as an amulet to protect against intoxication. Since amethyst was considered an antidote against drunkenness, many wine goblets were carved from amethyst stone. Still to this day, violet-purple amethyst is a symbol of sobriety.

Amethyst looks best in daylight; more precisely, slightly after sunrise or just before sunset when the light is soft and warm. Amethyst is distinguished by its violet-purple colors. The best specimens should have a deep purple color and good saturation with minimal color zoning. The most important amethyst deposits are in Brazil, namely the "Palmeira" amethysts of Rio Grande do Sul and the "Maraba" amethysts of Para. Other significant amethyst deposits are located in Bolivia, Canada, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka, United States (Arizona), Uruguay and Zambia. The deep colors are the most valuable, particularly a rich purple with rose flashes. "Siberian" deep purple amethyst with red and blue flashes commands the highest prices. So-called green amethyst is produced by heat treatment, but since amethyst is defined by its purple color, green amethyst is not considered to be a true amethyst. Due to the variability of the color distribution in the amethyst crystals, it is often cut as brilliant rounds or ovals to maximize the color. Very rarely will amethyst be cut en cabochon. Other shapes and modified cutting styles are quite popular, but typically, only amethyst specimens with good color distribution are cut into fancy stones.

Properties of amethyst Chemical Formula: SiO2 - Silicon dioxide Crystal Structure: Trigonal; hexagonal prisms Color: Violet, pale red-violet, purple Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale Refractive Index: 1.544 - 1.553 Density: 2.65 Cleavage: None Transparency: Transparent to semi-translucent Double Refraction / Birefringence: 0.009 Luster: Vitreous Fluorescence: Weak - bluish

Amethyst Gemstone Mythology, Metaphysical and Alternative Crystal Healing. The legend of the origin of amethyst comes to us from a Greek myth. Dionysius, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a human and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path. Aggressive tigers would carry out his wish. Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana was to become the victim. Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the tigers' 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 famous gem. The amethyst is assigned to the planet Neptune. The esoteric movement revived the ancient belief and the gem industry made it another marketing tool to promote certain gems. However, purple is the color of royalty and royalty has no gender preference. Therefore, it is an excellent choice of stone for men or women. Amethyst is harder than most other materials, so it is very resistant to wear and tear. Amethyst is the most popular purple-violet colored gemstone on the market today, followed by blue-violet tanzanite, spinel, sapphire and iolite. Wipe down amethyst using a soft cloth or toothbrush. Amethyst is quartz and although it is relatively hard, there are a number of other gemstones capable of easily scratching amethyst. Therefore, take caution and do not place other harder gems near amethyst when storing, cleaning or wearing amethyst jewelry. As with most other colored stones, do not use harsh household chemicals when cleaning amethyst gemstone jewelry. Avoid prolonged exposure to extreme heat, because heat can cause permanent damage to the gemstone. When storing amethyst, always store jewelry inside a fabric-lined box or wrap it in a soft cloth. Amethyst should be stored separately from other stones, whether of whether or not they are harder or softer.