Purple For The People: The Appeal Of Amethyst

If you are looking for distinctive crystal jewellery, there are many aspects you may consider. Rarity, appearance, colour and the significance various beliefs have placed on particular crystals may all be among the factors you take into account.

Amethyst is one crystal that may be very appealing just now, because those who consider birthstones to be of significance will note that it is the stone for February, so it may be chosen as a birthday present for someone celebrating in the next few weeks.

This year, that may be especially significant for those February 29th babies who get to mark their true birthday for the first time in four years.

Other beliefs about amethysts include the Roman claim that it could prevent drunkenness, based on a story about Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. The tale itself actually dates from the Renaissance, but the idea that amethysts could prevent drunkenness dates back to the ancient Greeks.

In fact, the name of the stone is believed to have come from the word ‘amethustos’, which meant “to not intoxicate” in classical Greek.

Other cultures have had their own beliefs about amethysts. In Egypt, amethysts were regarded as protecting against harm, while other cultures have seen them as sources of peace and healing.

Many of these beliefs have been linked to associations with the colour purple, which in other contexts was a rare thing in the ancient world; purple dye could only be obtained from Mediterranean snails, which made it rare and expensive, thus associating it with royalty. Many royal jewels, including some of Britain’s Crown Jewels, contain amethysts.

However, purple is a highly popular colour all over the world. The 2015 YouGov favourite colours survey of ten countries around the world may have been most notable for revealing blue to be the favourite in all of them, but among the other most popular colours there were three others that claimed second place in one or more country - red, green and purple.

Purple was outright second favourite in Hong Kong and joint second with red in Malaysia and Australia. Here in the UK, it was third behind red. All that means the colour itself could prompt many people to find amethysts appealing.

The stone is a form of quartz, which is a common form of crystal that appears in many colours, and it can be mined all over the world. The nearest ones to the UK are found in Austria, while countries like Sri Lanka are famous for the stone. But it is also found in places as far apart as the US, Morocco, Madagascar and China.

This means amethysts are not rare and are therefore highly affordable, while still retaining great aesthetic appeal. Indeed, you can often buy whole chunks of mined amethyst in the shops.

However, as jewellery, it is a great fit, as it stands at 7 on the Mohs scale, which is similar to gems such as emeralds, aventurines, zircons and tanzanites. That does leave it short of diamonds at 10 (like everything else), but while it is not quite hard enough for everyday wear, it can make a great item to wear on special occasions.