Gemstones 101 - The Amethyst | The Beautiful Girls

January 26, 2008

Gemstones 101 - The Amethyst

Posted by: admin : Category: Women

Amethysts generally come in the color purple, and are used as an ornament. In fact, the Amethyst was one of the first gemstones that man used for jewelry. Ancient people believed that Amethysts have the power to prevent intoxication, protect travelers, assure victory and give business success to the wearer. The word “Amethyst” comes from the Greek “a” meaning “not” and ” methuskein” meaning “to intoxicate”. According to Greek myth, the goddess Diana turned a nymph into amethysts because Bacchus, the god of wine loved her which caused Diana to be jealous.

Both ecclesiastical and secular princes in the past had used amethysts for jewel. In the Bible, Moses describes the quartz as a symbol of the Spirit of god.

The Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February which may be apt because of the stone’s seductive color and appeal which is a continuum of primary hues ranging from light pinkish violet to deep grape purple.

The use of Amethyst as gemstone goes back thousand of years during the ancient Egyptians. It was mainly used for intaglios. In England, beads of amethyst were found inside Anglo-Saxon graves.

Today, amethysts are popular gemstones for such jewelries as pendant, ring, necklace, bracelet and earrings. They are also used to adorn homes and office walls. More people buy them because they are very inexpensive and the look gorgeous. Even in today’s modern time, many people still use amethysts for mystical purposes. It is still widely believed that amethysts draw certain cosmic energy to promote healing and protection.

In the past, amethyst was among the valuable gemstones along with emerald, ruby, sapphire and diamond. But since the discovery of large deposits of amethyst in many locations like Brazil, the value has greatly decreased. The most expensive known amethyst is the Deep Russian because of its exceptional rarity. Even then, the price Deep Russian is still significantly lower compared to the sapphire’s Padparadscha or ruby’s Pigeon Blood. The high end types of amethyst come from the Ekaterinburg district of Russia where drusy cavities in granitic rocks are located.

While most of amethysts used in gemstones come mostly from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, they also come in abundance in throughout the United States and Canada as well as India and Germany.

In the gem trade, the amethyst is also known in many other descriptive terms. The “Rose de France” usually refers to the amethyst that has pale pinkish lavender or lilac shade, which is a favorite color. The Siberian Amethyst is one of the most prized types because of its intense violet and red flashes color. The Uruguayan and Zambian Amethysts are also popular but do not come up to the level of the Siberian. The Oriental Amethyst, a term discouraged for usage by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gemological Society (AGS), refers to the purple corundum or sapphire of amethystine tint.

To learn more about amethyst gemstones and other loose gemstones, please visit http://www.gemstoneeducation.com

Tags: amethyst, diamonds, gemstones, jewelry, rubies.