THE TOP AMETHYST FACTS
- Amethyst is the most expensive variety of quartz with a dark purple color.
- Amethyst is the birthstone of February, and it is especially suitable for anyone born under the zodiac signs of Pisces and Aquarius. It is also known as the birthstone of Wednesdays.
- This name is thought to be Greek for "undrinkable" and is associated with the sobering power of the stone. The ancient Greeks believed that purple amethyst helped to keep sober, as it absorbed the vapors of alcohol. They also believed that if you drink alcohol from a vessel made of amethyst, you will never get drunk, no matter in what dose.
- What is the price of amethyst? The most expensive stones are those of a dark purple color with lilac or pink hue.
- When a stone is transparent, it immediately loses value. The more transparent it is, the cheaper it is. Surprisingly, this is the case only with amethyst--the others are valued for their clarity.
- Amethyst is quite a hard mineral with a hardness value of 7 out of 10 on the Mohs scale.
- Natural amethyst changes its color slightly depending on the light and the angle of the stone. This is why it was especially loved by sailors and travelers. In the old days, it was believed that with very careful observation, it was possible to predict the weather: if the stone is a bit darker, it will be raining, but if it is lighter, the weather will be fine.
- The legend says that the nymph Ametis preferred to turn into a beautiful purple stone, rather than fall into the hands of Bacchus, the god of vegetation and wine.
- Exposure to sunlight causes amethyst to lose its rich purple color over time.
- Quite often the original color of amethyst is preserved using refining. This is done to keep the stone more intense and luminous for a longer time.
- One of the commercial names for amethyst is Rose de France. It is an amethyst of pale lilac or pink hue. The only known source for this gemstone is in southern Brazil. Such amethysts have the unique property of retaining their color even when exposed to direct sunlight.
- Specialists believe that the properties of amethyst help regulate the body's metabolism.
- Amethyst has the magical property to cleanse space from negativity.
- At all times, amethyst has also been famous for its ability to attract love. This is why it is still often called the stone of love. Besides, the stone represents happiness, sincerity, and prosperity.
- Amethyst is not recommended to be worn together with diamond, chrysoprase, and ruby.
- It has long been believed that amethyst controls evil thoughts, enhances intelligence, and makes people shrewd in business matters.
- Volcanic amethyst crystals do not respond to sunlight, while sedimentary amethysts fade in the sun.
- Another type of amethyst is prasiolite, which is yellow-green to green in color. It is produced by three processes: thermal treatment of purple amethyst; irradiation; and natural heating by lava flows or nearby intrusions.
- Amethyst is the official gemstone of the province of Ontario.
- Amethyst has the power to control evil thoughts, enhance intelligence and make people shrewd in business matters.
