Amethyst
Amethyst
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Amethyst is one of the most beautiful of the coloured gemstones, particularly in its better qualities. Amethyst is the clear purple or violet form of the mineral quartz. As such it is related to citrine which is the yellow form of quartz, and also to rock crystal which is the colorless variety.
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As with other gemstones, the "best" color can vary according to personal preference, and the quality of amethysts can vary considerably. The most important attribute should be an attractive colour. The deep violet colour is generally the favourite and most expensive, but a stone of medium colour intensity, with plenty of sparkle, can also be attractive.
Today's major sources are Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay and Zambia in Africa. Brazilian stones can be found in huge sizes, but generally are moderate in color. They often suffer from color-banding, which sometimes is visible despite efforts of the cutter to minimize it.
Legend
The legend of the origin of amethyst comes from Ancient Greek myths. Dionysius, the god of winemaking, was angered one day by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the 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 gem we know today as amethyst.
The meaning
Amethyst gets its name from a Greek word amethustos meaning "not drunken", as it was believed to protect against intoxication by alcohol.
Imitation
About 70% of amethysts on the world market are now believed to be synthetic. This has only been discovered in the last few years. Much low cost high quality, deeply colored amethysts are now appearing in inexpensive jewelry. Because the cost of testing is higher than cost of even the natural stones it is not often performed. Beware stones of perfect clarity, calibrated sizes,with precision cutting.
Hardness
The hardness of amethyst is 7, and it appears on the MOH scale as quartz.
Misnomers
Oriental amethyst is a name incorrectly used for amethyst colored sapphire.
Bishops Favourite
Amethyst is the most commonly used stone for Bishop's rings.
Common Mis-Spelling
Amythest
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Value
Compared with diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, and pearl it is true that amethyst is inexpensive, particularly in lower qualities. Even in very high qualities, amethyst is still not expensive, which makes it a veritable bargain among gemstones.
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Value per carat in amethyst doesn't rise exponentially with weight as it is readily available in large sizes; but depends almost entirely on color. The "Siberian" deep purple with red and blue flash commands the highest prices. As the stone is plentiful, there is little reason to pay top dollar for stones with visible inclusions or inferior cutting.
Sinkankas, whose name was virtually synonymous with the world of gems and minerals, gives a wholesale price range for medium sized, medium to deep purple stones, as $8-25/carat for commercial cuts. Federman, author of Consumer Guide to Colored Gemstones, insists that African stones should bring about 25% more per carat than Brazilian ones.
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