AMETHYST
A MACROCRYSTALLINE QUARTZ, amethyst is essentially purple quartz whose color comes from trace amounts of iron. It is found in variations of color ranging from pale violet to deep, dark purple and reddish purple. Amethyst is relatively common and is often found in large individual crystals or smaller crystal clusters. Primarily mined in Brazil, Uruguay, and North America, amethyst is noted for its vitreous (glass-like) luster.
The word amethyst is of Greek origin and means “not drunk.” It was believed to keep a person sober and quick-witted no matter how much alcohol had been consumed. The Greek myth that tells of the stone’s origin underlies this idea: jealous and feeling underappreciated, Bacchus, the god of wine, took his frustrations out on a young maiden named Amethyst. When he released his tigers to kill her, the goddess Diana took pity on her and transformed the girl into clear quartz to protect her from being eaten alive. Some variations affirm that in his guilt, Bacchus poured wine over the quartz to honor the girl. Others say it was his tears that fell upon Amethyst and gave her the noted hue. The theme of sobriety carried on in Roman ideas about how wearing the stone aided in controlling passions and lust; it was believed that wives should wear the stone to keep from straying into the arms of other men.
Fine amethyst was much rarer in the past than it is today, and it was once considered a gem reserved for royalty. It was the stone set into Cleopatra’s signet ring, and the Egyptian Book of the Dead attributes the stone as the symbol of wisdom. Amethyst was one of the stones set on Aaron’s Breastplate, and it has also been highly prized by the Christian church. It continues to be considered a powerful amulet in metaphysical practices and is thought to have a calming, or sobering, ability. Though it has lost its once high monetary value, amethyst is still used in jewelry because of its abundance, and clusters of the stone are popular home accessories. It is both the modern and ayurvedic birthstone for February and is also associated with the zodiac signs Pisces, Virgo, and Aquarius.