february birthstone

Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com

The birthstone for February is the Amethyst.

The rich royal colour of this purple stone has made it a prized gem for centuries and can be found in royal collections around the globe.

Kings, queens and religious figures have treasured this member of the quartz family.



About Amethyst

The colour of amethyst is used to symbolize Christ and Bishops wore it on their rings.

The name amethyst comes from the Greek word amethustos, which means ‘not to intoxicate’ or ‘to be sober.’

The gem can actually be traced back 2,500 years before the birth of Christ to the Minoan Period in ancient Greece.


Qualities of Amethyst

Amethyst is considered a good choice for any type of jewelry, as it is hard and durable.

It has been fashioned into faceted gems, polished and rounded into beads or domed cabochons.

It is also beautiful left in its rough crystal form.

As it is harder than many other materials it is resistant to regular wear and tear.


History of Amethyst

In Greek mythology Amethyst was a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the Goddess Diana. She was not aware that the Greek God Dionysius was angered by something said by a human and in an intoxicated fit of rage took out his revenge on the unsuspecting Amethyst who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Diana turned her into a statue of crystalline quartz to protect her. Feeling remorse, Dionysius wept tears of wine and those tears stained the quartz into the familiar purple colour associated with the gem.

The long list of benefits Amethyst was believed to possess throughout history is long and includes:

Controlling evil thoughts.

The ability to quicken intelligence.

The power to create shrewd businessmen.

The healing of soldiers from battle wounds and then give them strength and lead them to victory.



Amethyst was also believed to:

Assist hunters find game.

Provide protection from disease.

Have the power to scare away demons.


The healing effects of Amethyst have been mentioned for centuries by:

Healers

Shamans

Medicine men


Benefits of wearing Amethyst

Chastity

Sobriety

Self-control

Also guard against anger and violence as the gem encouraged:

Calmness

Bravery

Contemplation


Locations of Amethyst

Mostly found in Brazil and Uruguay.

Also mined in Sri Lanka, India, Germany, Finland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan and Russia.

Double terminated amethyst crystals are located in Afghanistan.

Alpine amethyst is found in the Alps in Austria.

The Ontario amethyst is from the Thunder Bay area of Canada and it is also found in various locations in Nova Scotia.


The largest opencast amethyst vein in the world is said to be in Austria.

One of the largest amethyst producers in the world, with an annual production of 1,000 tons, is Zambia in southern Africa.

It is considered a very special quartz and can vary in colour from a pale pink violet to a dark blue violet.

Shades of red and gray are also known to appear in some forms.

february birthstone

Education

ontario amethyst

alpine amethyst

unsuspecting amethyst

amethystthe colour of

largest amethyst producers

healing effects of amethyst

largest opencast amethyst

long list of benefits