Name: Amethyst
Moh Hardness Scale: 7
Specific Gravity: 2.65
Refractive Index: 1.55
Colour(s): Purple, violet

Once counted among the most precious of gemstones, the discovery of large quantities of Amethyst in Brazil during the 18th century led to a decline in the value of amethyst. Today it is marked as a semi-precious stone and it contends for the title of most prized quartz gem with the blue-green silica.

Amethysts owe their popularity to their purple lustre, which is due to the prevalence on iron-oxides within the crystalline structure. They are prevalent in many royal sets of jewellery, as purple has been considered the colour of European royalty from the Roman period.

An interesting fact about Amethyst is that it was considered to make its bearer immune to drunkeness in the time of the Ancient Greeks. This power made it popular as a material for cups and goblets, and led to the Greeks naming the gem “Amethystos” which means “not drunk”.

Amethyst has good hardness making it ideal for all jewellery settings.

You can find quality amethysts on bidorbuy.