Amethyst is the name
commonly used for the crystalline quartz that is in
the color range from pale lilac to deep purple. It is
probably the most important and valuable quartz gem.
The paler lilac shades are sometimes called
"Rose de France". The
darker stones are sometimes called Siberian Amethyst.
Although Siberia is no longer a source of amethyst, it
was famous for producing the finest, richly colored
stones. Most amethyst now comes from South America
(Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay) or
Africa
(Zambia, Nigeria and other countries). In general,
African Amethyst is darker, but usually smaller.
South American Amethyst tends to be lighter in color
but available in larger sizes. Due to its hardness
( 7 on the mohs scale) it is a very "wearable"
gemstone, great for rings or any other piece of
jewelry.
Because of its purple
color, it has often been associated with royalty, and
as a symbol of piety, it has been very important in
the Catholic church and other religions.
The gemstone also symbolizes
sobriety. The Greek word "amethysts" basically means
"not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong
antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine
goblets were often carved from it!
Most of the amethyst that
we are offering is from Africa. We have it in a
variety of sizes and shades of purple for every
taste. The larger pieces you see here are from
Nigeria. They are natural, untreated stones (most
amethyst today is heat treated to enhance the color).
As such, they may display some color banding, but each
one is beautiful and unique! The smaller stones are
probably South American in origin and may be heat
treated.
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