Amethyst: Introduction

Amethyst color is unique as it is seductive. In a transparent, coarse grained, dark purple, is that for most jewelry. Amethyst is the Birthstone for February. Amethyst quartz is part of the family. Although quartz gemstone must be a the purpose for it to be an amethyst, it comes in a variety of purple shades and colors. It varies from light lilac or lavender in a deep, rich, dark purple and violet. The Mohs scale it rates a 7, making it difficult to be properly made for jewelry. To one time point was worshiped as a gem, its abundance today made it cheap and banal, but still revered as a gem beautiful and powerful.

Amethyst: History and Mythology

Amethyst name comes for the Greek words meaning a "no" and methustos to "beat" (not drunk). This was the reference to the Greeks believed that rock was an antidote against drunkenness. Cups of wine were was carved in stone and it still symbolizes sobriety to this day. The story behind this is that the Greek god Dionysus (God of intoxication) was upset one day by an insult from a mortal and swore revenge following the death they face. Dionysos came across Amethyst mortal, a beautiful girl who worship the goddess Diana. Dionysus created maiden tigers to attack, but Diana has turned into a girl of pure crystalline quartz, to protect them. In the crystal, Dionysus wept tears of wine has a purple crystal and amethyst creation.

Purple is the color of royalty and Amethyst was used to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers. Fine Amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were Also, a favorite stone of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst is mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 stones adorning the breastplate of the high priests of God. Because amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, was an important ornament of the Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. This was considered to be the stone of bishops, who still often wear amethyst rings. In Tibet, amethyst is considered sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.

Amethyst: How are they formed?

Amethysts are formed in silica-rich liquid by in geodesy gas in lava cavities occurring in crystalline masses. These holes are formed in the Earth's crust bubbling gas in cavities circular or filling of the vein. When conditions permit, it forms hexagonal crystals are usually grown from a core. These crystals are most often not well developed, and so are generally found as groups of points are called Crystal and Amethyst Druze. Although most commonly found in geodesy, Amethyst is sometimes found as a stalactite.

Amethyst: What to do?

Amethyst is quartz family, which is in group if the silicates of silicon and oxygen (SiO2) silica tetrahedral form that combines with various metals or semi-metal. Amethyst can occur as prismatic crystals which time six sided pyramid at either end or can form as druzes are crystalline crusts that only show the pointed terminations. As a mineral specimen, amethyst is popular for its color and nice crystal shapes that produce a handsome, purple, sparkling cluster.

Amethyst: Color

color of amethyst can come in any shade of purple light in the dark. A paler, lavender shade of purple called "rose de France was popular and valuable a few decades ago. Yesterday the most precious color however is "Siberia", which derives more locations in Siberia, notably Uruguay and Zambia. Siberian contains mostly shades of purple, blue and some shades or red side. In amethyst, color often occurs in bands or waves. This is very characteristic and can be used to identify other stones amethyst violet. In the 20th century, black the amethyst was thought to be attributed to the presence of chemical element manganese. But, since color can be changed by the presence of heat, color was considered to be environmentally friendly from Ferric Thiocyanate and sulfur, which is detected in the material. Further study showed that iron and aluminum is responsible for color.

As stated in the previous paragraph, when heated amethyst may fade and lose some of its color. The best is to keep these stones away from extended exposure to heat and sun. When heated mostly color may fade completely and to change a making a yellow Citrine. Because amethyst is more widespread, this is how the commercial Citrine is created. When Citrine and Amethyst are grown as naturally and at the same crystal creates alternating bands of yellow and purple creating what is called Amertine.

Amethyst: Synthetic

As I stated before, amethyst is so widespread and abundant on which make them very cheap and inexpensive. What makes it worse is that technology has advanced so far to make synthetic amethyst that mimics even and even the highest quality and amethyst is more difficult to distinguish between them. Manufacturers of synthetic amethyst have even learned how duplicate the natural process of growth as well, correct twinning axis, making more growth pattern identical to natural detection and make it more difficult. Laboratories can test every stone to detect synthetic amethyst, but this test is even more expensive than what is worth stone.

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