Amethysts – the Gemstone for Royalty

Throughout history, the color purple has been associated with royalty. So it is no surprise that amethyst has been a popular gemstone with royalty the world over. Its color and beauty are without rival, and our love affair with amethyst silver pendants and other fashion jewelry continues. There are amethysts in the British Crown Jewels today. They were popular with Catherine the Great, and a favorite of Egyptian queens and royals as well. Amethysts have been the stone of choice for jewelry pieces like silver pendants, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, bangles and many other pieces of beautiful and affordable fashion jewelry. One Egyptian royal had their mummy covered in amethyst, signifying the importance of this gemstone in ancient Egyptian society. Several lesser royals were buried along with amethyst jewelry and objects. Most of the gemstones in ancient Egypt were obtained from miles in and around Aswan. The word “amethyst” has its origins in the Greek language. There is some dispute whether the word comes from ‘Amethuskein’ or ‘Amesthystos’. Both words roughly translate to ‘not intoxicated’, leading to the legend that amethyst can protect an cure one from drunkenness! Amethyst is a crystalline variety of silicon dioxide or quartz, and is one of the most valuable forms of quartz. Quartz is generally transparent and almost colorless. However, impurities such as manganese and iron give amethyst its characteristic colors. Manganese in particular is responsible for the purple color of amethyst. Amethysts can be found in a range of shades of purple and lavender. In general, the deep purple color stones are more expensive than the lighter colored specimens. The gemstones can have defects in colors. These defects can occur naturally, or can be induced through heat and irradiation treatments. On rare occasions, the same stone can have two different materials – amethyst at one end, and a yellow citrine at the other. The characteristics of the stone can often be tied to the locality where it is found. Amethyst rates a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. This gemstone can be found as long crystals with a six-sided pyramid at one end. South America and Africa are the largest producers of amethysts today. Brazilian specimens are typically quite large, but of poor to moderate color. Overall, African stones are of poorer quality than specimens from South America. In Canada, amethysts are found around Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Digby, Nova Scotia. Sources in the US include Maine, Pennsylvania and North Carolina to Montana and Colorado.