Amethyst Amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek ἀμέθυστος "amethystos" from ἀ- "a-", "not" and μεθύσκω "methysko" / μεθύω "methyo", "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and carved drinking vessels from it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. Amethyst is a semiprecious stone often used in jewelry and is the traditional birthstone for February. Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (SiO) and owes its violet color to irradiation, iron impurities (in some cases in conjunction with transition
Amethyst gasfield Amethyst gasfield Amethyst is a natural gas field in the Southern North Sea, about east of the Yorkshire coast. Gas lies in a Permian sandstone reservoir around below the seabed. The gasfield is operated by BP. The gasfield was discovered in 1972 and it was named after HMS "Amethyst". Between 1972 and 1985 a number of appraisal wells were drilled. The field development started in 1988 and the first gas was produced in 1991. Originally, the field was owned by BP, Enterprise Oil, British Gas, ARCO, Murphy Oil, Amerada Hess, and FINA. In 1997, BP acquired the interest of Enterprise