All About Amethyst – Uses, Properties, Color, and Worth
Amethyst is a type of quartz which is composed of silicon dioxide and is viewed in a transparent to sub translucent form. Amethyst is a semiprecious stone that is violet in color and occurs as prismatic crystals with pyramidal or bi-pyramidal endpoints.
Traditionally, amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February which makes this gemstone quite popular.
The meaning of the amethyst name comes from the Greek word “amethystos” which means “not drunken”. It was believed that possession of amethyst would protect you from drunkenness. The meaning behind the amethyst name likely had some correlation due the color of wine being similar to the color of the mineral.
Amethyst crystals are commonly how amethyst is found. Being part of the quartz family, amethyst will often form as amethyst crystals in geodes and pockets in host rocks. These crystals are highly sought after by jewelers many rock and mineral collectors.
Amethyst is is very similar to citrine with only some slight differences. In fact, amethyst is often turned into citrine by people and sold. Read more about citrine here “All About Citrine“.
Common Amethyst Properties:
 | |
| Amethyst Mohs Scale Hardness: | 7 |
| Amethyst Specific Gravity: | 2.65 |
| Amethyst Streak: | White |
| Amethyst Fracture: | Conchoidal, typically uneven or splinter like |
| Amethyst Luster: | Glassy |
| Amethyst Crystal System: | Hexagonal |
| Amethyst Chemical Formula: | SiO₂ |
Amethyst Uses
Amethyst is used primarily for jewelry. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and many other types of jewelry will be the main uses of amethyst. There are many rock and mineral collectors that use amethyst as decoration around the home.
In history, we note that purple was a color that symbolized royalty. It was not uncommon among royalty to have amethyst gemstones faceted to crowns, scepters, and other jewelry worn.
It is possible to use amethyst in many water settings you choose. Amethyst can go in water without damaging it, as it has a very hard and resistant surface. Putting amethyst in salt water over longer periods of time is not recommended as it might start to damage the mineral. For more on putting amethyst in water; “Can you get Your Amethyst wet?”
As a very popular gemstone, many believe that amethyst has some deeper meaning. That meaning will go into spiritual meaning while in possession of the mineral.
The meaning of amethyst is to promote healing powers for physical problems, emotional issues, and being able to heal energy. Amethyst meaning does not stop there, as it is thought to also relieve stress and irritableness as well as bring about calm and tranquility.
Though I do not share these thoughts for this semi-precious mineral. I can see how others, even throughout history, can be captivated by this beautiful mineral and it is worth mentioning it as a use.
Amethyst Color
The color of amethyst is most often in the range of lighter hues of violet to some very deep purple colors. In some rare cases a red-purple color can be found. Amethyst color comes from natural irradiation with the element of iron along with other elements present when the crystals were forming.
Typically the ideal color for an amethyst stone for faceting to jewelry would be in the darker of purples, however, lighter color of purples have become more popular over time.
A common occurrence with amethyst is to not have a steady color of purple throughout the crystal. This means cutting an amethyst into a faceted gemstone could require selecting the most colorful part of the crystal only. Impurities can also exist in the gemstone which makes selecting the better parts of the stone important for faceting.
Amethyst cannot go in the sun for very long periods of time. The sunlight will, over time, bleach out that nice purple color. Wearing amethyst as jewelry should not be a worry though, unless you wear it every day and do so always in the sun.
The Worth of Amethyst
Amethyst worth will depend greatly on the color, size, clarity, and cut. Amethyst is worth as much as $5 to $50 in price per carat depending on quality. Un-cut amethyst can be worth around $1 or less per carat.
Amethyst is considered a semiprecious stone which means it has some monetary worth, but nothing like any of the other precious stones like, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Typically, the most valuable amethyst colors are the deeper purples.
Amethyst used to carry a greater value along with the more precious stones until it was discovered in great abundance in places like Brazil. Very large geodes filled with gem quality amethyst have since flooded the world from this Southern American country along with Uruguay.
Most people don’t seem to talk much about the world’s largest cut amethyst, but instead talk about the largest amethyst geode known as “The Empress of Uruguay”. This massive geode stands at 3.27 meters tall (over 10 feet tall), and weighs 2.5 Tonnes (a little over 5,500 pounds). The Empress of Uruguay is estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of USD, however that value went down some when a tourist broke off a large piece from the geode many years back.
Dark or Black Amethyst
Dark or black amethyst is simply a darker hue of violet in the gemstone. Greater amounts of hematite and iron can give amethyst a very dark or even black appearance. Observing these types of amethyst through light will reveal the violet within.
Black or dark amethyst worth can be as much as $8 to $70 in price per carat depending on quality. This darker form of amethyst will carry more worth as jewelry settings, such as black gold rings, look absolutely stunning with it.
Where can Amethyst be found?
Amethyst can be found in several places around the world including; Brazil, Canada, Russia, Uruguay and in the USA states of Arkansas, Colorado, and North Carolina.
