Amethyst Properties, Meaning, Facts and Photos

Amethyst Variety of Quartz

Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral quartz.

When used for its metaphysical healing properties it should not be charged in sunlight.  The colour of these crystals is delicate and will fade over time if exposed to UV light. 

Unless kept away from daylight completely, most amethyst will experience some degree of fading.

One article I read in an influential online magazine recommends leaving amethyst in the sun for a few hours to recharge it.  It said as an alternative it could be placed in a salt bath to remove negative energies that may have accumulated.

Follow this guidance and your amethyst is unlikely to remain beautiful for very long.      

With amethyst being a type of quartz, it's pretty tough so can be soaked in water.  Whilst it's generally not recommended to soak crystals in salt water because salt is corrosive, small amounts won't cause any damage (to amethyst) in the short term. 

Amethyst belongs to the mineral class of tectosilicates which is a subgroup of silicate minerals. These materials have silicate tetrahedrons as their basic building blocks.  The silicates are fairly resilient to chemical reactions.

Silicate minerals tend not to be affected by salt because they don't contain ions that can be replaced by sodium ions from salt solutions.  The chemical bonds that hold the atoms in a silicate together are very strong so are not easily broken by external factors such as salt.

It's worth mentioning however, that some silicates may be damaged by this interaction.  The extent depends on the physical and chemical properties of the specific mineral such as its crystal structure, composition and texture.
The colour of amethyst comes from impurities of iron.  Iron alone won't bring about a change in colour.  For the transformation to take place, the quartz crystals must be exposed to heat which in nature, comes from radiation.

Amethyst is often heated in industrial ovens which causes it to change colour.  The process of heating causes a gradual reduction in the amount of iron.

By disrupting a mineral's chemical composition colour can often be altered.

Heat treatments mimic natural geological processes.  They have long been used to remove unwanted wisps of colour or to lighten, darken or change the colour of a stone completely.

Much of the world's commercial-grade citrine is heated amethyst.  That's because natural citrine is actually quite rare.
When heated to 450°C (842°F) amethyst crystals turn yellow.  Turn up the heat and they turn orange and then orange-brown.  The final colour is determined by temperature and the length of time the crystals are heated.

It's normally quite easy to tell natural citrine from heated amethyst.  Heated amethyst tends to be a deeper shade of yellow or burnt orange.

Whilst the colour of natural citrine can vary, the shade is rarely as intense and tends to be uniform throughout the stone.

White quartz or subtle shades of orange or yellow will often be visible towards the base of the crystal. This is because there's less iron in the lower section of an amethyst crystal.

Look closely and you'll see the depth of colour increases towards the tip.  It's believed this is because of the mix of iron in the water as the crystal grows.

Prasiolite is a rare green variety of quartz.  Most commercial-grade stones are produced by heating amethyst.  It's often referred to as green amethyst which is a misnomer.

Amethyst is a geological name for the purple variety of the mineral quartz.  Quartz in any other colour cannot be amethyst.

What Colour is Amethyst?

The colour of the finest amethyst is slightly reddish-purple.  These gem-grade stones have deep saturation and no colour zoning.

Although amethyst in darker shades of purple is also popular, if it's too dark it can look almost black.

One of the world's oldest gemstones, amethyst is known for its rich purple-coloured crystals.  The colour can however vary significantly.

The colour purple, once known as magenta, doesn't exist naturally.  It can only be produced by combining red and blue.  Purple is therefore a perceived colour invented by our eyes and brain.

A rainbow exhibits the full spectrum of colours yet never includes purple.  This short video explains why.

Colours have long been known to affect mood, behaviour and even emotions.  Except for the plant kingdom, purple is quite rare in nature. Only a small number of purple-coloured minerals exist.

Throughout history, purple has been associated with religion, royalty and wealth.  Today, it's also associated with magic, mystery and fantasy.

The suffragettes used purple, white, and green as their colours. Purple stood for loyalty and dignity, white for purity, and green for hope.

To the ancient Egyptians and Romans, amethyst crystals were rare, valuable and highly sought after.

Traces of amethyst first appeared in the form of a dye during the Neolithic Age (10,000 BC).  Paintings of animals and the outline of human hands have been found on cave walls in France.

The dye used to create these was made from sticks of manganese and hematite powder.  The paintings date from 16,000 to 25,000 years BC. 

Until 1856, the colour purple could only be produced from natural dyes so it was rarely seen.  In the 15th century BC it was produced from the mucous of the murex sea snail.

Known as purple dye murex or Tyrian purple, it was named after the Phoenician city of Tyre, modern-day Lebanon.

Thousands of snails were crushed to produce an ounce of dye.  In 2008, Tyrian purple was recreated using the original formula.  12,000 sea snails created just enough dye to colour a small piece of material.

It was only after huge reserves of amethyst were found in South America in the 1800s that it became a more affordable gemstone.  Today, amethyst can be found in many countries around the world including the United Kingdom.

The History of Amethyst

Altering the properties of stones to enhance or change their colour has a long history.  Theophrastus ancient Greek philosopher [c.370-285 BC] documented in his treatise Theophrastus On Stones;

"amethyst loses its colour in the fire like the sapphire and emerald".

He remarked on the colour of amethyst being similar to wine and said along with rock crystal it could be found by "dividing other stones".

He says quartz and amethyst can be found in veins, cavities or lining the interior of geodes.  Crystals are only revealed when rocks are broken open.

Approximately three hundred years later ancient Roman author, naturalist and philosopher Pliny the Elder wrote about "giving quartz the colour of emeralds" and "how to change one gemstone into another".  This is believed to refer to the change of colour when certain stones are heated.

Amethyst was highly prized in ancient Egypt.  The earliest reference to amethyst was 3100 BC.
The first English translation of Theophrastus On Stones (renamed as The History of Stones) was published in 1746.  In a footnote the author John Hill writes;

"Although the ancients knew of five species of amethyst, we have at least as many among the jewellers at present, though they are not at the pains to distinguish them by particular names, they divide them in general into Oriental and Occidental. The former are very fierce but of great hardness, lustre and beauty, the latter are had from many places particularly Saxony, Germany and Bohemia".

It's believed that in the past, translucent stones of a similar colour were grouped together.  Amethyst would have been with fluorite, corundum (blue corundum is sapphire) and possibly tourmaline.

Oriental amethyst was a reference to stones from the East.  Occidental means 'relating to the West'.

Pliny also compared the colour of amethyst to wine.  In his encyclopaedia Naturalis Historia (Natural History) he writes;

"We will now commence with another class of precious stones, those of a purple colour or whose tints are derived from purple. To the first rank belongs the amethystos".

He goes on to say,

"All of these stones are transparent and of an agreeable violet colour and easy to engrave.  Those of India have in perfection the very richest shades of purple and it is to attain this colour that the dyers in purple direct all their endeavours"

From here, the detail becomes a little sketchy.  Historians rely on translations of the original text to work out what stones Pliny is referring to.

Corundum is exceptionally hard, so it would not have been easy to engrave.  Therefore, it's believed it was not included in the group known as amethystos.

This is supported by Pliny's description of this group of stones in which he says, "they have a fine mellowed appearance to the eye and not dazzling the sight like the colours of the carbunculas (garnet)."

He says "the colour of one is almost hyacinth whilst another borders on crystal with the purple gradually passing off into white".

He says it has little value because when viewed sideways and held up to the light, fine amethyst (a reference to corundum or blue sapphire) should always have a purple brilliance like that of the carbunculus "slightly inclining to a tint of rose". 

Pliny said the name amethystos, according to "some authorities" comes from Greek for "not" and "to intoxicate".  This stems from it being "a supposed preservative against inebriety".

It's believed that with this statement, he's not referring solely to the group of stones known as amethystos but to all groups of stones that are purple or whose tints are derived from purple.  That includes corundum, fluorite and possibly garnet amongst others.

In 1846, John Kitto published 'A Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature'. In this reference, he discusses how the ancient Egyptians counterfeited precious stones, one of which was amethyst.

Amethyst is believed to have been the third stone in the third row of the high priest breastplate.  This religious garment used during biblical times was worn by the Jewish high priest.

In the Middle Ages, amethyst was believed to encourage celibacy and symbolise piety hence was favoured by the church.

More recently a large amethyst crystal can be seen in the Royal Sceptre, part of the British Crown Jewels.  This huge stone is mounted below a diamond-encrusted cross with an emerald in the centre.

King Charles III held the sceptre in his right hand during his coronation. 

Amethyst Greek Myth

Countless articles that discuss the origins of the name 'amethyst' refer to a myth from Greek mythology.

The only known reference to amethyst in Greek mythology is a stone given to Dionysus (Greek God of wine) by the titan Rhea to preserve the wine-drinker's sanity.

French poet Remy Belleau published a book of poems in 1576. One poem bore a striking resemblance to this apparent Greek myth.

Published less than ten months before his death, nothing suggests it was based on text from Greek mythology.

Bacchus is the name adopted by the Romans for Dionysus, the Greek God of wine.

"Bacchus was pursuing a maiden named Amethyste who refused his affections. Amethyste prayed to the gods to remain chaste, a prayer which the goddess Diana answered, transforming her into a white stone. Humbled by Amethyste's desire to remain chaste, Bacchus poured wine over the stone as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple"

In recent years, many different versions have appeared.  Each time it's republished, the author incorrectly claims that the myth about amethyst comes from Greek mythology.

No factual evidence exists to support any such myth having existed.

This is a perfect example of how easy it is to spread inaccurate information online.  So much of what we read on various websites, especially those related to crystals, has been plagiarised from other sources. 

Those who republish the information rarely investigate whether it's factual.

Amethyst February Birthstone

Amethyst is the birthstone for February on the modern, traditional, and Ayurvedic birthstone charts. It's also associated with the zodiac sign of Pisces.

Amethyst crystals are widely used for decorative purposes.  They can be faceted or polished as a cabochon when used as a gemstone.

Geodes are also popular, no collection of rocks and minerals is complete without one. 

Most of the world's finest amethyst crystals come from South America.

The colour of amethyst can vary within the same crystal.  This characteristic is known as colour zoning.

Chevron amethyst, which exhibits large sections of milky white quartz, is the most extreme example.

In the UK, chevron amethyst tends to be known as banded amethyst.

On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, amethyst, like most varieties of quartz, grades 7.

Amethyst Healing Properties

The healing properties of amethyst are associated with strength and power.  This is likely to have come about because iron is the primary cause of its colour.

Amethyst is one of the most popular crystals used for its metaphysical healing properties.

Amethyst is a natural tranquilliser that harmonizes mind, body, and spirit. By calming negative thought patterns, it promotes mental clarity.

Its gentle and serene energy eases anxiety, melts away stress and enables the mind to find lasting peace and tranquillity.

Amethyst is an ideal companion for meditation.  A crystal placed in the bedroom promotes deep relaxation, restful sleep and soothing dreams. 

The meaning of amethyst comes from the belief that it can counter the effects of alcohol.  This came about because the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus and Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder both likened its colour to wine.

The stone named 'amethystos' by Theophrastus was identical to the stone known today as amethyst.  The word comes from Greek for 'not' and 'intoxicate'.

This seems to be the reason why amethyst became popular with the church.  A single gemstone is often used in ecclesiastical rings worn by bishops and cardinals.  Amethyst can also be found in other religious garments. 

When used for its healing properties amethyst calms irritability, eases mood swings and controls anger.

It can also enhance spiritual awareness and metaphysical ability.  Amethyst calms an overactive mind and improves focus, memory and concentration.

Associated with the crown chakra, it creates a connection to higher consciousness promoting spiritual insights and giving access to innate wisdom.

Crystal healing is an alternative therapy that believes the energy of a crystal can be used to promote holistic health.

While it can provide deep relaxation, stress relief and support for emotional well-being it's a complementary practice and not a replacement for medical treatment.

The healing properties of amethyst are highly personal and subjective. People may experience different benefits based on their own beliefs, experiences and intentions.

Amethyst can be used for its healing properties in different ways. Healing with crystals must always be approached with an open mind.

Article Pictures

The amethyst geode at the top of this article is from our collection.

The small cluster of amethyst crystals was photographed by Stan Celestian.

The citrine crystals are heated amethyst (from our collection).

The amethyst geode was photographed by Stone Mania during one of our many visits to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C

The article on cylinder seals is clickable and redirects to the original source.

The next two photos are courtesy of Ron Wolf and Stan Celestian.

The amethyst geode in the next photo is displayed in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Photo by Stone Mania. 

The picture of the ancient amethyst ring comes from the Smithsonian Magazine. Click the image to read the full article.

The chevron amethyst polished stones in our final photo come from our collection. 

Photos are clickable and redirect to the original image.