subject: Gemstones In Jewellery: Understanding Amethyst [print this page] This first article will discuss the properties of the popular Amethyst stone. The rich purple colour is the most popular choice for jewellery and combines brilliantly with both white and yellow gold but it is important to understand the limitations of the stone and how you can care for your amethyst jewellery.
Amethyst is a member of the quartz group and can occur in a number of colours and shades, as mentioned previously it is the deep purple coloured stone that is the most commonly used in jewellery from rings to bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Purple is a regal colour which explains why this stone is also referred to as the stone of bishops. Amethyst is commonly found in Brazil although there are mines in Canada, India, Sri Lanka and Zambia. The name amethyst is derived from the Greek word amethystos which means not drunken, it is often considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness and historically wine goblets were carved from this versatile gemstone.
Made popular by its deep colour and relative affordability, it is the perfect stone to be used in jewellery designs. The wide tonal range from light to dark purple and the availability of a wide range of shapes and sizes that lend themselves to creative cuts and designs are powerful reasons to use this stone in beautiful jewellery designs and are why it is such a popular choice.
Gemstones are measured on the Moh scale which measures the relative hardness of the stones on a scale of 1 to 10. Diamonds are the hardest at 10 but amethyst is not far behind measuring a 7, relatively hard.
Whilst the amethyst is a relatively hardwearing stone is it recommended, as with any jewellery, that the item is removed when doing any heavy work to protect the stone from damage. We would recommend that the item is removed with cleaning or coming into contact with any products such as perfume. To keep your jewellery looking its best it can be cleaned using warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush.
I hope that this article goes some way to explain the properties of the amethyst stone and how best to care for your jewellery.
