Here is my first installment of my gemstone series. In order to learn a little more about the stones I use I thought it would be helpful to post a little of what I have found out here.
The first stone in this series is Amethyst, which also happens to be February’s birthstone. True Amethyst is the purple form of quartz. This stone can exhibit a wide range of purple shades from lilac to the most valuable form, a deep purple. It can come in many cuts as well from a smoth polished bead, to a rough cut druzy. Its versitility makes it a great fit for use in jewelry. I like to use this stone in a lot of my work just because of the punch of color this little stone can have.
The name amethyst actually comes from Ancient Greece and was believed to ward off the effects of drunkenness. The name comes from a Greek word that means “not drunk”.
Amethyst can be found around the world, such as Russia, Africa, Brazil, and the United States.
A little color theory: The color purple is associated with royalty and symbolizes power, nobility, luxury and ambition. It is also associated with wisdom, creativity, mystery, and magic. It can be uplifting, and encourage creativity.
When purchasing Amethyst the color and clarity of the stone can a huge factor on the price. The darker and clearer the stone, the more expensive it will be. Be careful of purchasing “green amethyst” as I have just found out. Being green means, it is not actually amethyst because amethyst has to be purple for it to be given that name. Green Quartz is a lovely clear colored stone with a green tint to it, and while it can be a beautiful stone, it is not actually Amethyst.
Photos from image above listed from left to right –
Faceted Amethyst Teardrop Briolette by aaarealgem
Petite Amethyst faceted heart briolettes by gemaliciousbeads
Light Purple Amethyst Spiral Briolettes by Fabulousrocks