February Birthstone-Amethyst!

February babies are adorned with amethyst as their birthstone which is the purple variety of quartz. Amethyst can come in an array of varying tones from very light purple to very dark, deep purple. The reason behind this vast saturation difference is mainly because as the crystal grows, the most saturated parts are near the tip of the crystal and it fades considerably as you go down the bottom of the crystal, the top being smaller than the bottom, meaning there is less of the very deep purple.

Amethyst is sold in a variety of qualities based on color. The best is considered AAA, vivd dark, to dark reddish purple, or purple. This quality is sometimes also referred to as “African” or “Zambian.” The next grade considered “medium-dark” is classified as AA or A. Medium tone, is considered B, and light is C.

Quartz is one of the most common crystals of the world and other varieties are: ametrine, cat’s eye, citrine, praseolite, rocky crystal, rose quartz, smokey quartz, and star quartz. Quartz is composed of silicon and oxygen, two of the most abundant elements on earth. The main difference between the different varieties of quartz is mainly their crystal size. Amethyst falls into the single and twin crystal group, as do the others listed above.

Unlike garnets, gem-quality quartz such as amethyst is routinely treated: heated, bleached, or dyed. Amethyst is commonly heated to enhance the color and make it more marketable.

Amethyst is found throughout the world, but the main sources are Brazil and Africa. Africa is known for its top quality amethyst. The United States is also a source for amethyst at the Four Peaks Mine outside Phoenix, Arizona.

The Basics:

• Mohs Scale: 7

• Doubly Refractive

• 6th wedding anniversary gift

Fun Facts:

• The name amethyst is derived from the Greek amethystos, which means “a remedy against drunkenness,” -gia.edu/birthstones/February-birthstones. So don’t forget to wear your amethyst on girl’s night out!

• In mythology, amethyst’s color has been attributed to the staining of white stones with wine as Bacchus’ spilled his wine in remorse for turning a lady into stone

• Synthetic amethyst has been on the market since the 1970’s

• Amethyst used to be as rare as ruby and emerald

• Wearing amethyst can be a symbol of personal empowerment and strength (you go girl or boy!).