Amethyst:
Amethyst is found worldwide. Countries of origin include Brazil, Russia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Uruguay, Madagascar, Germany, Austria, Namibia, Zambia, and the USA.
Amethyst is a variety of quartz, although it must be purple to be classified specifically as Amethyst. It ranges in color from light lavender to deep purple. Some Amethyst even has a mauve tint. The most valuable of this stone would be a deep medium purple with rose colored flashes. Green Amethyst is a falsity since the term “amethyst” refers only to purple variation of quartz. Amethyst is found in geodes and alluvial deposits worldwide. The purple coloration of the quartz is produced when manganese is present. The intensity of purples are due to the amount of iron the specific stone contains.
Amethyst is a rather hard stone with a hardness of 7 on the Moh’s scale.
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Official birthstone for February since 1912
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Zodiac birthstone for Pisces
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Anniversary gemstone for the 4th, 6th, and 17th wedding anniversaries
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State gem of South Carolina
Myths and Therapeutic Properties:
Amethyst is believed to encourage inner peace, support happiness and enable forgiveness, as well as ease fears and assist in healing depression along with other mental disorders. A long running myth regarding Amethyst creates belief that it will help to ward off drunkenness when drinking or bring sobriety after binge drinking. It has also been used to assist in overcoming addiction. It has been used therapeutically to aid with hearing disorders, insomnia and painful ailments. It is also considered a powerful blood cleanser.
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