Gemstones: Amethyst
Purple has long been considered a royal color so it is not surprising that amethyst has been so much in demand over history. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty.

 Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews and the Russian Empress Catherine the Great sent thousands of miners into the Urals to look for it. In popular belief, the amethyst offers protection against drunkenness - for the Greek words 'amethystos' mean 'not intoxicated' in translation. Because amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. It was, in particular, considered to be the stone of bishops and they still often wear amethyst rings.
 

 

Amethyst Cathedral
 

Amethyst (transparent purple quartz) is the most important quartz variety used in jewelry.

Besides its royal color, Amethyst is also the King of the Quartz gem family. It is the most sought-after variety, ranging in color from the pastel lavender (Rose-La-France) to the deepest royal purple imaginable. It is a widely distributed mineral,  but fine, clear specimens that are suitable for cutting as ornamental stones are confined to comparatively few localities. These crystals occur either in the cavities of mineral-veins and in granite rocks, or as a lining in agate geodes. Many of the hollow agates of Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of amethyst crystals in the interior. Much fine amethyst comes from Russia as well, especially from near Mursinka in the  Ekaterinburg district, where it occurs in drusy cavities in granite rocks. Many localities in India yield amethyst; where it is mostly found in the form of pebbles. While gem amethyst is mined in most gem producing nations, today's market is principally supplied from the following sources: Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Zambia.

 

 

Amethyst Fish Carving

 

Mystery of Amethyst:

 The amethyst has its hardness (7), its moderate refraction and its weight in common with the other quartzes, but the crystal structure is different, and it is most unconventional. The construction is stratified, as a result of which areas and lamellae of varying color intensity often occur. This explains why there are relatively few large cut amethysts of an evenly distributed dark color, in spite of its having been found so abundantly in all parts of the world. It is only in the last few years that scientists have been fairly certain of having found the real cause of the color. It is now attributed to certain iron constituents in connection with naturally occurring radiation.
 

 

Uruguay Bi-Color Amethyst

 

One thing that has been known for a long time is the fact that amethyst changes its color when being heated. Smoky stones are transformed at temperatures of as little as 250 degrees to a shining yellow to brownish-red, while clear ones, i.e. those with a high degree of transparency, become yellow or colorless at 400 degrees. Now and then Nature gives us a surprise by having created bicolor stones, like the ones recently found in Bolivia in the form of crystal nuggets. This variety is known as Ametrine, for in its formation certain energy states of iron introduce violet areas to the yellow citrine.

 

Amethyst is considered a Type 2 gemstone.

 

Type 2 Description: Usually eye clean except for larger stones witch may have some eye visible inclusions.

 

 

Amethyst Crystal Nugget