During the time of Alexander the Great, this quartz gemstone was the most valued of all precious substances. A legend tells that Alexander the Great often had a large deep purple stone cup when drinking alcoholic beverages, because he believed that amethyst would absorb evil spirits and thus prevent drunkenness.
Although chosen as February's birthstone because of its springlike color, it is one of the most popular of all gemstones. Extremely durable and naturally beautiful, amethyst suits every skin coloring. For centuries, this stone was among the rarest of all gems, that is until, in the 1700's, a prospector wandering in the trackless jungles of Brazil happened upon a mountain honeycombed with pockets of fine amethyst crystals. Frenzied mining, almost overnight, produced so many of the stones that Brazilian Amethyst was available at a cost far below that of diamonds. Once again after almost two centuries of mining and slower production, prices have again begun to slowly rise.
This beautiful purple gemstone represents, in addition to February, Pisces and the Guardian Angel stone for November. It is also a gift for a 6th wedding anniversary. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs Scale and is a member of the Quartz family, with its mining locations being: South America, Russia, Mexico and Africa.
Its name is derived from the Greek word, "amethystoes," meaning not to intoxicate. It was believed to hold legends such as: protection from disease, controlling evil thoughts, intelligence in business, insurance of victory and protection for soldiers, and above all to prevent inebriation.
Amethyst has long represented royalty and wealth and thus many royal jewels of churches and states in Europe are adorned with this stunning gem. The lightest color of amethyst, the light lilac color, is known as the "Rose of France." It is also plentiful and thus affordable to the general public. The more rare deep purple (with red tones), "Padarko," or "Siberian" is becoming increasingly more valuable. So, if you are a person like Catherine the Great of Russia, and possess the "purple passion," then this gemstone is for you.
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