Throughout history, Amethyst has been one of the most popular and mystical of all gemstones. It can be traced back to as far as the Neolithic period (approximately 4000bc).

It is the purple variety of the Quartz family and its name derives from the Greek word Amethustos, “A” meaning “not” and “methustos” meaning “to intoxicate”. Amethyst - dubbed the stone of the “Age of Aquarius” is considered a symbol of peace of mind, modesty and piety. It is believed to enhance mental capacity and protects against drunkenness - in ancient times, wealthy lords who wanted to stay sober would have glasses or goblet made from Amethyst, so when they poured wine for their guests they could serve themselves water, as the dark purple hue of the gem would disguise the colour of the drink!

Amethyst occurs in many shades, from a light slightly lavender pinkish to a deep purple - similar to that of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Amethyst is also pleochroic which means that when light hit’s the gem different colours such as reds and blues can be seen from different angles.

It is a hard and durable gemstone. In its rough state the gem forms in long prismatic crystals, making it ideal for cutting. Because the colour can often be patchy in places it is usually cut as round brilliants to maximize colour throughout the gem. Different tones of Amethyst have different prefixes; “Siberian Amethyst” refers to darker amethyst regardless of whether they are from Siberia or not and Amethyst with a more pink tone is named “Rose De France“.

It is the chosen gem of the wealthy and powerful. Rare types make up some of the stones that decorate the British Crown Jewels. An Amethyst bracelet was worn by Queen Charlotte of England, and was also know as a personal favourite of Catherine the Great.

Some believe that Amethyst holds powers to change anger to tranquility and is used for reverting negative energy into positive energy. It is considered an ideal stone for those struggling or recovering from alcoholism. It is also know for its healing and meditative powers, and purifies the mind, body and spirit, helping to realign the chakras.

One legend from Greek mythology tells of the tale of how Dionysus, the god of intoxication, took his fury out on a young beautiful maiden named Amethyst, who was on her way to pray to the goddess Diana. Before he set his fierce tigers on her, Diana turned her into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the advancing tigers. When Dionysus realised what he had almost done to Amethyst, he wept tears of wine. The legend says it was his tears that turned the quartz purple and gave the amethyst we know today its colour.

Also on that note it was thought in ancient times if you wished to save a drunkard from delirium you could mix some of the crushed crystal into a persons drink.

Amethyst is the birthstone of February. It is also associated with the zodiac signs on Pisces and Aries (especially the violet and purple variety), Aquarius and Sagittarius. The gem can be found in the USA, Brazil, Madagascar and Kenya. One of the largest Amethyst mines in the world is in Maissau in Austria, which is open to the public.

Hardness: 7, Refractive Index: 1.54-1.55