Amethyst Gemstone and Valentine's Day Overview

Amethyst gemstone is a violet variety of quartz often used in gemstone and birthstone jewelry.
"Amethyst" came from Ancient Greek "'Amethystos" a- ("not") and methustos ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication.

Its color is as unique as it is seductive, though in fact this gemstone of all gemstones is said to protect its wearer against seduction.
The amethyst is extravagance in violet. For many thousands of years, the most striking representative of the quartz family has been a jewel coveted by princes both ecclesiastical and secular.
Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews.
In popular belief,  Amethyst offers protection against drunkenness - for the Greek words 'amethystos' mean 'not intoxicated' in translation.
A more apt stone for the month of February birthstone , the gemstone gift for Valentine's Day holiday.

A large number of further miraculous powers are attributed to the Amethyst in all sorts of cultures:
It was said to:

• protect crops against tempests and locusts,
• bring good fortune in war and in the hunt,
• drive out evil spirits and inspire the intellect.

A study revealed that Amethyst gemstone, if worn round the neck on a cord made from dog's hair, affords protection against snakebite.
Eagles place an Amethyst in their nest in order to protect their young from the selfsame danger.

Apart from these powers, gemstone therapists say that the amethyst has a sobering and cleansing effect. Amethyst gemstone has also been said to quell excessive stomach acid and, according to Hildegard von Bingen, served to combat insect bites and beautify the skin.
Amethyst not only had a firm niche in medicine; it was also esteemed as a gem stone of friendship and love. And since it was thought to put the wearer in a chaste frame of mind and symbolize trust and piety, the Amethyst came to occupy a very prominent position in the ornaments of the Catholic clergy over the centuries. It was the stone of bishops and cardinals; we find it in prelates' crosses and in the so-called Papal Ring (Italian, 15th century) in the Jewellery Museum in Pforzheim.

However, the most beautiful of all crystal quartzes also posed one or two riddles for the scientists, and indeed they still haven't been completely solved to this day.
Amethyst has its own features:

• hardness
• moderate refraction
• weight

in common with the other quartzes, but the crystal structure is different, and it is most unconventional.
The construction is stratified, as a result of which areas and lamellae of varying color intensity often come about. This explains why there are relatively few large cut Amethysts gemstones of an evenly distributed dark color, in spite of its having been found so abundantly in all parts of the world. It is only in the last few years that scientists have been fairly certain of having found the real cause of the color. It is now attributed to certain iron constituents in connection with natural radioactive radiation.

One thing that has been known for a long time, on the other hand, is the fact that Amethyst changes its color on being heated. Smoky stones are transformed at temperatures of as little as 250 degrees to a shining yellow to brownish-red, whilst clear ones, i.e. those with a high degree of transparency, become yellow or colorless at 400 degrees. Now and then Nature gives us a surprise by having created bi-colored gemstones. This variety is known as ametrine, for in its formation certain energy states of iron introduce violet areas to the yellow citrine.

Some Amethysts pale almost to colorlessness in daylight. The reason for this has not yet been discovered, but it is possible to re-color them by means of radium radiation. The fact that these gemstones can lose their color makes it obvious that amethyst jewellery should not be worn while sunbathing, in a solarium or in a discotheque with black light. Sudden changes of temperature can also be harmful to the stone.

In ancient times, Amethyst gemstone was already being engraved and cut into sculptured forms, witness the bust of Trajan which Napoleon captured in Berlin. Amethyst quartz, banded with whitish layers, is particularly good to work with, though it is only ever either translucent or opaque or somewhere in between. In earlier times, people liked to drink wine from amethyst cups, which brings us back to the stone's protective function against alcoholism. According to the ancient Greek saga, Diana turned a nymph whom Bacchus loved into an amethyst; hence the term Bacchus stone. Anyone wishing to protect a drunkard from delirium mixed some pulverized amethyst into the person's drink



Chemistry
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz; its chemical formula is SiO2.

In the 20th century, the color of Amethyst was attributed to the presence of manganese.
More recent work has shown that Amethyst's coloration is due to ferric iron impurities. Further study has shown a complex interplay of iron and Aluminium is responsible for the color.

On heat exposure, Amethyst generally becomes yellow.

Synthetic Amethyst is made to imitate the best quality amethyst. Its chemical and physical properties are so similar to that of natural amethyst that it can not be differentiated with absolute certainty without advanced
gemological testing .

Amethyst Hue and tone

Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue. The ideal grade is called "Deep Siberian" and has a primary purple hue of around 75–80 %, 15–20 % blue and red secondary hues


History
 
Amethyst stone was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians.

Amethyst is the traditional birthstone for February , the gemstone of Valentine's Day.

Geographic distribution

Amethyst is produced in abundance from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil where it occurs in large geodes within volcanic rocks. It is also found and mined in South Korea. The largest opencast amethyst vein in the world is in Maissau, Lower Austria. Many of the hollow agates of Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of amethyst crystals in the interior. Much fine amethyst comes from Russia. 

The largest Amethyst mine in North America is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Value

Up to 18th century amethyst was included in the cardinal, or most valuable, gemstones.
The highest grade Amethyst (called "Deep Russian") is exceptionally rare and therefore its value is dependent on the demand of collectors when one is found.

Amethyst Gemstone, The birthstonene that makes you feel royal

Amethyst gemstone has been a favored jewel of kings and queens for thousands of years, and every woman deserves to be treated like a queen. In addition, the Amethyst’s lilac to purple color makes a wonderful addition to a spring wardrobe and compliments any skin tone.

The mystical Amethyst gemstone
Leonardo Da Vinci once wrote "Amethyst was able to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence".
The Greeks believed that Amethyst was an antidote against drunkenness and this gem still symbolizes sobriety today. As a symbol of sincerity and stability the amethyst ranks number one.

Give the gift of Amethyst gemstone
Being the birthstone for the month of February is the most obvious reason to give someone an Amethyst jewelry. However, giving an amethyst also acknowledges a current long-lasting relationship or the triumph over an obstacle by the recipient of the gift.

Amethyst gemstone in science
Amethyst is a member of the quartz crystal family, and can vary in color from pale lilac to deep purple. The amethyst ranks a 7 on Mohs’ scale.  The most sought after amethyst colors are the deeper shades of purple.

Caring for your Amethyst
General jewelry cleaning practices can be used when caring for your amethyst jewelry. However, it should be noted that the color of an amethyst can be affected by extreme heat.

The Legend of Amethyst
Amethyst's origin resides with the god Dionysus (Bacchus) and the goddess Diana. Dionysus, the god of wine, celebration, intoxication and joviality, was insulted by a mortal who had refused him acknowledgement. Enraged, Dionysus vowed to unleash his fury upon all mortals who did not partake in his gifts of wine and drunkenness. He immediately spotted a young maiden named Amethyst who was pure and unfamiliar with being intoxicated. The unsuspecting young virgin, who was on her way to pay homage to the goddess Diana, was detained by the wrathful god. Dionysus summoned two fiercely voracious tigers to devour the youth and sat back with his wine to watch. Amethyst cried out to Diana. When Diana saw what was about to transpire she quickly transformed the young mortal into a glimmering pure white stone (quartz) to protect her from the vicious wrath of Dionysus. Moved with pity, Dionysus realized the ruthlessness of his actions and began to weep with sorrow. As the tears dripped into his goblet Dionysus collapsed and the tear-tainted wine ran out onto the stone from the tipped cup.
The white stone then "absorbed" the color from the wine creating the stone now called Amethyst.

 
Valentine's Day and Amethyst gemstone

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly simply Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions ,  as a reference to  the love features of Amethyst gemstone , birthstone of February.
The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards