Amethyst is a striking purple variety of quartz, its color shaped by natural irradiation, iron content, and trace elements within its crystal structure. With the same hardness as quartz, it ranges in hue from soft violet to deep royal purple, sometimes showing hints of red or blue. Among the most prized sources are Siberia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and the Far East. The finest grade, known as Deep Siberian, is cherished for its rich purple tone accented by subtle flashes of blue and red, revealing a depth and brilliance that has captivated for centuries.

Semi-Precious Stone

• Translucent:  can be backlit
• Flower design

Amethyst is a purple quartz. Crushed amethyst was used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans as a way to ward off intoxication. One story is told that partly this was due to the fact that the Romans sometimes put amethyst in their wine. Then the wine could be watered down and still retain its purple color from the stones within. That meant less alcohol, and thus, less intoxication. Both the Greeks and Romans made drinking cups of amethyst and wore talismans of amethyst to prevent intoxication. There is a Greek legend of how amethyst got its purple color. Once Dionysus was so annoyed by Artemis that he set his sacred tigers upon a maiden attending her shrine. To preserve the maiden, whose name was Amethyst, Artemis petrified her in sparkling quartz. Lamenting this virgin’s demise, Dionysus poured a contents of his cup over the statue, which immediately became infused with the purple of the grape.

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