Birthstone of Month: Amethyst
Amethyst, a member of the Quartz family, is a beautiful purple stone which can range from a very pale lavender to a deep rich purple with flashes of red. The deep purple stones are the stones which command the highest prices. Amethyst is the most sought after and highly valued of all the stones in the Quartz family.
The stone can either be cut and facetted into many different shapes or it can be polished into beads for use in necklaces. Amethysts have a hardness of 7 on Moh’s Scale which means it is suitable for everyday wear, but can still chip if knocked.
Amethysts have a deep rich, almost royal colour. In Roman times, deep purple was the colour reserved for the Emperor, but today it is available to all making this purple stone a great piece to wear as a statement piece or to highlight colours in an outfit. As Amethyst is a mineral (quartz) it can be cleaned either ultrasonically or with warm water and a soft brush. Avoid storing Amethysts in direct sunlight as this can fade the colour.
The word amethyst in Greek means ‘not drunk’ and it was believed that Amethysts would prevent the wearer from getting drunk. In the times of the Ancient Greeks and Romans people would have drinking vessels and amethyst amulets made to stop them getting drunk. However today, it is just a versatile stone that is very popular. Check out some of our beautiful Amethyst pieces.
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