Amethysts are popular gemstones for their amazing beauty as well as for their quality. They are popular for many reasons and in many places all around the world because of their rich violet color. The amethyst gets its name from a Greek word meaning not drunk.

In ancient times it was believed that this gemstone could keep the wearer from alcohol or the god of intoxication, Dionysius. The story behind the gemstone looks at the unique color as well. In the story Dionysius is insulted by a mortal and vows to take revenge on the next mortal that crosses his path. His path is crossed by a beautiful woman named Amethyst. Dionysius had created tigers to destroy the mortal and since she was going to pray to the goddess Diana, the goddess changed these tigers into statues of crystal quartz. Upon seeing what he had done Dionysius cried and his tears stained the quartz this deep purple color.

These gemstones are found in a number of locations. You can find them in many areas of the United States including: Delaware County, Pennsylvania; North Carolina; Texas and Yellowstone National Park. They can also be found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Namibia, Zambia and many other small African countries.

Since purple has always been considered to be the color of royalty these gemstones have been considered to be a sign of royalty and are even considered the royal gemstone in some countries. There are even amethysts in the British crown jewels as well as being a favorite of the Egyptian royalty as well.

The best amethyst gemstones can have a powerful impact on people. Leonardo da Vinci even wrote about them and talked about the power that they had to remove evil thoughts from the lives of people as well helping to increase their intelligence.

Further in later times, during the Middle Ages the Catholic church believed that the amethyst was a gemstone that could be used to represent celibacy and symbolize piety. The bishops in the church considered this to be their stone and so it was placed in their rings. Further rosaries that were dedicated to Buddha had this stone included in them as well. There is a rich history behind the amethyst and therefore it is something that needs to be considered for a number of reasons.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 4:41 pm