

Amethyst - Mineral & Healing Properties

Chemistry: Variety of: Quartz , SiO2

Class: Silicates

Subclass: Tectosilicates

Uses: Gemstone; ornamental stone; Amethyst glass; electronics

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  • Amethyst Cluster
  • Amethyst Point
  • Amethyst Polished
  • Amethyst Lace


Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is a popular gemstone. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty.



Amethyst is part of the Quartz family and its color can be a deep or pale purple and even a smoky purple. This coloration is due to a combination of very small amounts of iron and aluminum. The amethyst is one of the first stones collectors are attracted to due to its beautiful color.

Origin Of The Name

The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek word amethustos which means "not drunken." This was maybe due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered.

Interesting Facts

Often cut gems of amethyst are graded using the terms: Siberian, Uruguayan or Bahrain; to represent high medium and low grade respectively, regardless of the actual source. Because of the patchiness of the color distribution in the crystals, amethyst is often cut as brilliant round cuts to maximize the color. Other cuts can be used when the color is better distributed.


Birthstone for: February

Where Is It Found
















What Do We Do With It

Amethyst is used on all types of jewelry as a gemstone.



Because of its piezoelectric properties quartz is used for pressure gauges, oscillators, resonators, and wave stabilizers.

Metaphysical Uses

In Greek mythology: Bacchus, " The God of Wine", was insulted by a mortal and he swore that the next mortal to cross his path would be attacked by his fierce tigers.ÿ When a beautiful maiden named Amethysta came along, the Goddess Diana turned the maiden into a beautiful statue of Quartz to save her.ÿ The remorseful God Bacchus wept tears of wine over the stone maiden, creating a purple quartz Amethyst.ÿÿ The Amethyst is a stone used to clear, cleanse, and connection with the spirit. Amethyst helps sharpen the mind and focus.ÿ The Amethyst is also known as the stone of stability, strength, protection and psychic dreams.

Purple colored stones are receptive and spiritual. Ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, Purple stones are great to wear for meditation. This is the stone of spirituality and contentment. It facilitates transmutation of lower energies into the higher frequencies of both spiritual and ethereal levels. It is representative of the principles of complete metamorphosis. It clears the aura and stabilizes and transmutes any dysfunctional energy located within ones body. Amethyst also bestows stability, strength, invigoration and innocent peace. It is also a stone of meditation, being excellent in conducting the energy of calm to help one to both enter and maintain the desired state. It opens and activates the crown chakra.

Amethyst has traditionally been used to counter addictive behavior and thought patterns. Using an amethyst helps with clarity of the mind and make it more difficult for addictive behaviors to alter one's mood.

Physical Characteristics

Color: Various shades of purple.

Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Transparency: Opaque to transparent.

Crystal System: Trigonal

Crystal Habits: Macroscopic crystals occur as horizontally striated hexagonal prisms terminated by a combination of positive and negative rhombohedrons forming six sided pyramids. Amethyst often occurs as druzy masses showing only the rhobohedral terminations. It can also be massive.

Cleavage: None

Fracture: Conchoidal

Hardness: 7

Specific Gravity: 2.65

Streak: White

Associated Minerals: Numerous and varied but here are some of the more classic associations of quartz: amazonite a variety of microcline, tourmalines especially elbaite, wolframite, pyrite, rutile, zeolites, fluorite, calcite, gold, muscovite, topaz, beryl, hematite and spodumene.

Best Field Indicators: Distinct color purple and crystal habit.

Educational Videos

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Worlds Largest Amethyst Geode