Amethyst

What is Amethyst?

Amethyst is the purple variation of Quartz. It can be found in a broad range of purple nuances such as violet, purple and lavender. Read along if you want to get to know Amethyst better.

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February's birthstone

Amethyst is February’s birthstone. Carrying your birthstone is said to bring good luck. You can carry your own birthstone as a good luck amulet, or your loved ones’ birthstone as a symbol of love.

Symbolism

Amethyst is the gemstone for courage and spirituality. Carry a piece of Amethyst jewellery when you need to gather up the courage. Amethyst is said to cleanse the aura and is thus a great gemstone for meditation. It’s also said that Amethyst makes its carrier mild and lovable.

Wedding day

Many gemstones are connected to a special anniversary. Amethyst pieces of jewellery are traditionally given as a gift on the 6th wedding anniversary.

Legend

Legends say that Amethyst was created by the god of wine, Bacchus. He had gotten furious at the mortals and swore that the next who crossed his path would be eaten by tigers. He was met by a beautiful young girl named Amethyst, who was about to pray to the goddess, Diana. When Diana realized Bacchus’ vow, she turned Amethyst into a pillar of clear quartz to protect her from the tigers’ attack. As soon as Bacchus saw this happen, he regretted his malice and poured wine over Amethyst, leaving her with the beautiful purple colour.

Gemmology

Amethyst is a Quartz gemstone. Quartz is colourless but can take on a purple colour when affected by the Earth’s elements. When quartz has taken a purple colour, it’s referred to as Amethyst. When you measure a gemstone’s hardness, Moh’s Hardness Scale is used. The scale varies from 1 10, where 10 is the hardest – here is the diamond, which is the hardest gemstone. Amethyst is a 7 on Moh’s Hardness Scale.