A popular semiprecious stone, the amethyst is a gemstone variety of the silicon dioxide, popularly called quartz. It is characterized by its soft, pale violet shade, almost pink to purple color, which was brought about by the presence of small amounts of impurities such as ferric iron. Amethyst has a relative density of 2.65 and has a stiffness and hardness of seven in the Mohs scale. Having a transparent vitreous luster, the crystal belongs to the trigonal system which is formed through hexagonal prisms concluded and ceased by six-faced pyramids. The amethyst is dichroic which means that the color is being concentrated in such thin sheets which are laid parallel to the particular faces of the crystals. It appears to display two different colors that is being shown in two separate angles, commonly in the shades of blue and in the shades of a red-violet color. The amethyst turns into a very light golden brown color to deep yellow when it is heated at temperatures exceeding 550 degrees Celsius or 1,022 degrees Fahrenheit. The type of amethyst widely used in the jewelry industry is called citrine. This is one of the rarest naturally heat-treated varieties of quartz.

The amethyst is widely found in several areas throughout the globe. The variety of amethyst having the pale lavender to almost pink color is commonly found throughout Vera Cruz, Mexico. The clear varieties and some purple clusters are found throughout the African continent. The darkest of all the varieties of amethyst, ranging from the darker violets to the almost black colored substantial crystals are commonly and found throughout the Ural Mountains of Russia. These cut gems are also graded or ranked in three different categories, which are the Bahain cut, the Siberian cut, and the Uruguayan cut. These luminous, vivid, and gleaming cut tends to take advantage of or to maximize the gemstone’s depth and color.

Very much valued and recognized since ancient times, the gemstone is the birthstone for the month of February. The amethyst was once being believed by the localities of the ancient Hellenic Era to have magical properties and gives those who posses it to have the power and the ability to prevent drunkenness. It was a very much popular jewelry and as a semi-precious stone. Amethyst was also used to make seals and stamps. The finest gemstones of these varieties are found throughout India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, most parts of South Asia and South America. The gemstone could also be found on several particular areas in the Ural Mountains of Russia, Central and Northern Europe, Africa, most parts of North Asia and North America.