Amethyst Gems

From passion and from care kept free

 Shall Pisce's children ever be

Who wear so all the world may see,

The Amethyst

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Legend has it that the Greek god of wine, Bacchus, was taken with the charms of the lavender-eyed nymph named Ametho.  Ametho chose to embrace the ways of the chaste goddess Diana instead of the Bacchanalian life.

Bacchus names the wine colored gem after her.  He gives to Amethyst gems the power to ward off drunkenness and to calm other passions in honor of the devotion of Ametho to the goddess Diana.

Color in the Amethyst varies from the bluish-purple of fresh squeezed grapes to the reddish-violet of fine wine.

The colored zones in Amethyst often alternate with clear, color-free layers that will lower the value of a gemstone.  The saturation of the purple layer will also be leached, to some degree, of color.

When purchasing faceted Amethyst birthstones or other jewelry gifts that are set with these precious stones, view the gem along its profile and look for layers that vary in the depth of color.

Many Amethyst, Moh's hardness 7, are heat treated to deepen the inherent color but since the change is quite stable it should not detract from a gemstone purchased as a gift for everyday use.

A lack of fire in the quartz family gems such as Amethyst is not a defect, it is their nature.  

Affordable Amethyst gems, cabochon and beads, such as those found in ancient archeological digs, are still very popular gift ideas.

Amethyst Birthstones

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