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Stone Lore
Amethyst, according to legend,
originated when Bacchus, the god
of wine, grew angry at mortals. He
vowed the next mortal that crossed
his path would be eaten by tigers.
At that time, a beautiful young
maiden named Amethyst was on
her way to worship the goddess
Diana. Diana, knowing of Bacchus'
vow, turned Amethyst into a pillar
of colorless quartz to protect her
from the tigers. Bacchus, witnessing
the miracle, repented and poured
wine over Amethyst, staining her
purple. This connection with
Bacchus led to the belief that
drinking wine from an amethyst cup
would prevent drunkenness. Also
considered an aid to the brave,
Amethyst was believed to protect
soldiers in battle, control evil
thoughts, help hunters capture wild
beasts and make it's owner shrewd
in business matters. Very dark
stones are sometimes heated to
lighten and intensify color. This
member of the quartz family is the
birthstone for the month of February
and is designated for the first
wedding anniversary.
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Amethyst is the birthstone for for the month of
February & anniversary gemstone for the 6th
year of marriage.
Amethyst, purple color gemstone. The legend of the origin
of amethyst comes from Greek myths. Dionysius, the god
of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a
mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that
crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish.
Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young
maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana.
Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline
quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysius wept
tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the
beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple,
creating the gem we know today.
Purple color has long been considered a royal color so it is
not surprising that amethyst has been so popular through
the history.
Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and
were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian
royalty. Amethyst, transparent purple quartz, is the most
important quartz variety used in jewelry. Amethyst was
thought to encourage celibacy. Because of that, amethyst
was very important in the ornamentation of churches in the
Middle Ages. Bishops still often wear amethyst rings.
In Tibet, amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha
and rosaries are often fashioned from it.
The Greek work "amethystos" basically can be translated
as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong
antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets
were often carved from it! The gemstone still symbolizes
sobriety.
Amethyst ranges in color from pale lilac to deep purple.
The pale colors are sometimes called "Rose de France" and
can be seen set in Victorian jewelry. The deep colors are the
most valuable, particularly a rich purple with rose flashes.
Amethyst is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina
and some African countries. Generally, amethyst from South
America tends to be available in larger sizes than African
amethyst but amethyst from Africa has the reputation for
having better, more saturated, color in small sizes. Very dark
amethyst, mostly in small sizes, is also mined in Australia.
Amethyst is available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and
shapes, including many fancy shapes. Large fine stones may
be sold in free sizes but generally amethyst is cut in
standardized dimensions.
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