What is Amethyst?
Amethyst is a variety of quartz that is found in lavender, lilac, mauve, violet and purple tones.
It's name comes from the Greek meaning of 'Not intoxicated', as it was believed to protect it's wearer from intoxication. So, if you're hitting the bottle a bit too much, amethyst may be your Savior!
It ranks as 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.
It is found in many locations around the world, with the largest deposits in Brazil and Madagascar.
Until recently the largest amethyst geode found was named Empress of Uruguay, having been found in Artigas, Uruguay in 2007. It is 10¾ feet (3.27m) tall and weighs 2.5 tons. It is on display at The Crystal Caves museum in Atherton, Queensland, Australia.
However, a geode 18 feet (5.5m) wide, weighing in at just under 20 tons, also found in Uruguay and transported to Australia, named The Crystal Castle, can be seen in Byron Bay, Australia.
Up until the 18th century, amethyst was as valuable as diamond, sapphire and emerald, but when huge deposits were found in Brazil, it lost most of it's value and is now considered a semi-precious gemstone.
Amethyst is the birthstone for February and is associated with qualities like stability, peace, courage, and inner strength.