The captivating purple color and the promise of protection have made the amethyst one of the most sought after gems in history. This gem has an interesting account of legends and beliefs, and an even more interesting composition.
A member of the quartz family, amethyst is a transparent, rough-hewn gemstone. Unlike the other varieties of quartz, it contains more iron oxide, which experts believe account for its color. Amethysts exhibit different hues of blue and red, from pinkish lavender to intense violet.
Amethyst is usually found in the cavities of massive rocks or as mineral linings of geodes or volcanic and sedimentary rock formations. It is found in several places all over the world. In the United States, it is found in regions such as in the Amethyst Mountain of Texas, Yellowstone National Park, and in Pennsylvania, among others. The amethyst found in Thunder Bay and Nova Scotia in Canada has a distinct rosy color due to the presence of red hematite or iron in the internal deposits. Dubbed ‘violet quartz’, it can also be found along Amethyst Harbor in Lake Superior, Canada.
In the nineteenth century, abundant deposits of amethyst in South America were found. These discoveries had a significant impact in the jewelry industry. Amethyst was found in huge geodes in several states in Brazil such as Minas Gerais, as well as in the neighboring country of Uruguay in an intensely colored but blemished variety. In Madagascar, the third major exporter of amethyst, a variety of red and violet hues are commonly found. In Mexico, amethyst was found in Aztec caves in varieties that are no longer recognized today. Amethysts yielded from the Zillertal Alps kicked off the popularity of Germany’s gemstone center called Idar-Oberstein. In Asia, amethyst is found in Tibet where it is made into rosaries. The Tibetan Buddhists believe that amethyst promotes peace of mind. Amethyst is also mined in Sri Lanka, South Korea and Russia. Russian mines in Ural produce amethysts that are distinguished for their especially beautiful color.
Amethyst in History
The name amethyst is derived from the Greek words “a” and “methustos”, which literally means ‘not to intoxicate.’ The Greeks, and later the Romans too, believed that this stone possesses a protective power against drunkenness. Amethyst was used as a pendant in necklaces, and carved into goblets and drinking containers, as a ward against intoxication. Such belief originates from the story of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. According to the myth, the god was pursuing the beautiful Amethystos. Averse to his affection, the maiden prayed to remain pure, and was heard by the goddess Artemis, who transformed Amethystos into a white stone. In humility and regret for his actions, Dionysus bathed the stone with wine, which consequently dyed the white figure into purple.
The Christian tradition has an account of the amethyst as one of the twelve gems that decked the armor of Yahweh’s high priest, as narrated in the Old Testament book Exodus. The gem was considered an emblem of the Spirit of God, visible in the official robes of the High Priest. Similarly, the amethyst is believed to have had cultural and religious significance as it was found in some sacred sites and graves in Egypt and England. Later, Catherine the Great of Russia deployed numerous miners in a search for amethyst in the Russian Urals.
More About Amethyst
Amethyst occurs as tall or stout hexagonal crystals, with striations (grooves or lines) along its surface. It is cut into a round or oval shape to amplify its shade, or into other shapes when the crystal cannot be molded into a refined round or oval gem.
The popularity of amethyst has resulted in the development of numerous terms for each of its variety. This classification is based on the color or hue of the gem since amethyst changes its color when heated. Increasing temperature by 200 degrees transforms the color of an opaque variety to dark red. Increasing the temperature of a clear variety will result in a transformation to bright yellow, or can even cause the stone to become colorless.
The gem industry has created several terms characterizing the varying hues of amethysts. The pale, lilac to pinkish shade is the Rose de France. Those that are of the deep violet variant is generally called the Siberian amethyst, referring to Siberia where it is copiously found, although it also can be found in Uruguay and Zambia. The Deep Russian refers to the clear and dark amethyst found in Urals of Russia. This kind is remarkably rare and is popular for its intense color that exudes even with an artificial lighting. The Siberian and Deep Russian are the highest class of amethyst, prized for their color consisting of a primary purple hue and secondary red hue.
The Purple Mystery
Magnifying the color and elegance of royalty, it is no wonder why the rich and the powerful throughout history have sought amethyst. Its intense purple color has been the mark, not only of protection, but also of esteemed rank over the past centuries. This wonderful feature, however, has been a long-time mystery to scientists.
A macro-crystalline variety of quartz, amethysts have a hardness, refraction and weight that are relatively common to other types of quartz. However, its structure proves to be unconventional. Its striations result in the differences of intensity in color, and in the uneven distribution of dark hues.
The color of amethyst was believed to be due to the manganese in the crystal. Modern studies however show that it is largely due to the intricate interplay of its iron and aluminum content, and such components’ reaction to natural radiation.
Over the years, the amethyst has evolved from being a defense against intoxication to a hallmark of power and embellishment of elegance and beauty.
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