Amethyst is the purple, lilac, or mauve variety of the quartz family. It is a stone that is worn to guard against drunkenness and to instill a sober and serious mind. Amethyst is dichroic, showing a bluish or reddish purple tinge when viewed from different angles. Usually faceted as a mixed- or step-cut, amethyst has distinctive inclusions which look like tiger-stripes, thumb-prints, or feathers.
Some amethyst is heat-treated to change the color to yellow, producing citrine as a result. Crystals that are part amethyst and part citrine are called ametrine.
Occurrence
Amethyst is found in alluvial deposits or in geodes. Some of the largest geodes containing the stone are in Brazil. Amethyst from Urals (Russia) has a reddish tinge; Canadian amethyst is violet. Other localities include Sri Lanka, Uruguay, India, Namibia, Zambia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, Germany, Madagascar, and the USA.
Amethyst Properties
- Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Refractive Index: 1.54-1.55
- Birefringence (DR): 0.009
- Luster: Vitreous
- Crystal Structure: Trigonal
- Composition: Silicon dioxide
- Hardness: 7
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