FEBRUARY BIRTHSTONES – AMETHYST The essence of the color purple, amethyst is beautiful enough for crown jewels yet affordable enough for class rings. Amethyst was as expensive as ruby and emerald until the 19th Century, when Brazil’s large deposits were discovered. It was believed to prevent intoxication—amethystos means “not drunk” in ancient Greek. Today, as the most valued quartz variety, amethyst is in demand for designer pieces and mass-market jewelry alike, and its purple to pastel hues retain wide consumer appeal.
Mineral: Quartz;
Chemistry: SiO2;
Color: Purple;
Refractive Index: 1.544 to 1.553;
Birefringence: 0.009;
Specific Gravity: 2.66;
Mohs Hardness: 7;
COLOR: The finest amethyst color is strong reddish purple to purple with no visible color zoning;
CLARITY: Most amethyst doesn’t have inclusions you can see without magnification;
CUT: Amethyst is cut into a variety of standard calibrated shapes, including rounds and ovals;
CARAT WEIGHT: Amethyst is available in all size ranges for setting into a variety of jewelry styles~
21 March 2019
