Large Amethyst Crystal with Citrine
The history of the mineral amethyst can be traced back thousands of years. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word 'amethustos'. This stems from the belief it had the ability to prevent intoxication. 'Amethustos' loosely translated means 'not intoxicated'.
The Ancient Greek poet Asclepiades of Samos who was born approximately 2,400 years ago wrote;
"I am Drunkenness, the work of a skilled hand, but I am carved on the sober stone amethyst. The stone is foreign to the work. But I am the sacred possession of Cleopatra, on the queen's hand even drunkenness should be sober."
The underlined text is a play on the Greek words "methe" meaning 'drunkenness' and 'a-methe' meaning 'not drunkenness'. The prefix "a" works like the word "non" in English.
The Cleopatra he mentions is not the last ruling Pharaoh of Egypt portrayed in countless films. That Cleopatra was born some 250 years later in 69 BC.
The association with amethyst protecting against drunkenness is likely to have come about initially because the stone's colour was once likened to wine.
The following two lines were written by two different Ancient Greek writers;
"The stone is an amethyst but I the tippler Dionysus say, let it either persuade me to be sober or let it learn to get drunk."
"Pure to the pure are things divine, in Cleopatra's royal hands, unconscious of the power of wine, sober'd the tipsy goddess stands."
This beautiful polished amethyst crystal has subtle yellow inclusions which are likely to be citrine.