With its range of shades, from the deepest purple to the airiest lavender to the sweetest violet, Amethyst is the definition of purple. Used for thousands of years, this February birthstone has such a storied past.
Amethyst was so named from the Greek word A Methystos which means “not drunk”. This is because Amethyst was thought to prevent hangovers from excessive drinking. While it doesn’t have an affect on alcohol, it is affected by radiation, which is where it gets the color from. Exposure to gamma radiation causes iron particles within the matrix to drop an electron thus changing the color to a purple shade. Radiation can also affect the color further by damaging the color to make it disappear. UV radiation is capable of this and thus Amethyst should not be continually exposed to sunlight, else it will begin to fade.
Amethyst is commonly found as a geode, and some geodes can get quite large. The largest, called the Empress of Uruguay is over 10 feet tall. Amethyst makes beautiful jewelry pieces due to it’s hardness Mohs rating of 7, with 10 being diamond.
Heating Amethyst can also affect the color. When heated the color goes from light lavender to shades of yellow to shades of green. This can create stones that look very similar to Citrine. Stone sellers also commonly sell a stone called Green Amethyst. In nature Green Amethyst is almost unheard of, however it can be available as loose stones and cut stones. Green Amethyst is manmade. There is also a type of quartz called Ametrine, which is a stone where both Amethyst and Citrine have formed together to create a bicolored stone.
Amethyst when used as a chakra stone relates to both the Third Eye and Crown chakras. As a third eye, Amethyst is used for wisdom and intuition and helps reach a higher consciousness. As a crown chakra, this relates to thought, wisdom, enlightenment. Thus it makes sense that Amethyst is used as a dream crystal. When placed by the bedside, Amethyst helps bring about sleep and dream states that can lead you to better self awareness.
Amethyst is also used to help with issues surrounding rage and anger. Wearing Amethyst helps dispel these negative issues to bring about peace and calm. This can also be a blessing for those who suffer from headaches and migraines as Amethyst is thought to dispel both the pain and the associated anger and feelings of despair brought about by the migraine. It can also lower the associated anxiety.
Lastly Amethyst is sometimes used to assist with breaking addiction.
Because it is a quartz based crystal, you can use many different methods to cleanse and recharge your Amethyst. Moonlight is one of the best methods.
Do you use Amethyst in your daily life? I keep a beautiful piece at my bedside to help me sleep at night. Leave a comment about how you use Amethyst. And looking for Amethyst to wear? Check out our jewelry at Vek and Zeal including our necklace and ring.
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