Amethyst Jewellery Origins

According to mythology the Amethyst inspires a love of fairness, a sense of duty and a devotion to high ideals. It was therefore chosen to be used in some of the principal ecclesiastical rings and even today is worn by Bishops. The Amethyst was also a stone of English royalty. The first king to wear Amethyst as a royal emblem was Edward the Confessor in the early 11th century. Amethyst is also said to be Saint Valentine's favourite stone. His ring was engraved with a cupid and he made the Amethyst popular for lovers. The actual name Amethyst comes from the Greek and means "not drunken".

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A magnificent, 26 inch long Amethyst necklace made by ancient Egyptians is still in existence. Another, excavated in Greece is believed to have been owned by a Mycenaean princess 3,400 years ago. Victorian jewellery favoured the Amethyst, set in Gold and often surrounded by Pearls. Today the Amethyst makes imposing pendants, necklaces, rings and earrings.

Purple has long been considered a royal color so it is not surprising that amethyst has been so much in demand during history. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst, transparent purple quartz, is the most important quartz variety used in jewelry.

Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that amethyst was able to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence.

Because amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. It was, in particular, considered to be the stone of bishops and they still often wear amethyst rings.

In Tibet, amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.

The Greek work "amethystos" basically can be translated as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it! The gemstone still symbolizes sobriety.

The legend of the origin of amethyst comes from Greek myths. Dionysius, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today.

Amethyst ranges in color from pale lilac to deep purple. The pale colors are sometimes called "Rose de France" and can be seen set in Victorian jewelry. The deep colors are the most valuable, particularly a rich purple with rose flashes.

Amethyst is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina, as well as in Zambia, Namibia and other African countries.

Generally, amethyst from South America tends to be available in larger sizes than African amethyst but amethyst from Africa has the reputation for having better, more saturated, color in small sizes. Very dark amethyst, mostly in small sizes, is also mined in Australia.

Amethyst is available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes, including many fancy shapes. Large fine stones may be sold in free sizes but generally amethyst is cut in standardized dimensions.