How Amethyst is Made Into Jewelry
Amethyst is a purple colored rock that can be found all over the world, primarily in warm climates. Like most attractive rocks it is cut down to gem stones to make jewelry. This particular rock is very well known throughout history for its supposed abilities, including a variety of protection abilities.
In ancient Greece it was believed to protect people from drunkenness. In other parts of the world it was believed to protect people from fighting and bring safety to soldiers. At one time soldiers carried amethyst covered coins with them to battle for protection. In ancient Greece goblets were covered in amethyst in an attempt to protect the drinker from intoxication.
The Collection of Amethyst
Amethyst is located in underground caves around the world. It is currently mined in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Zambia, South Africa, Canada and Uruguay. It can be found in underground caves where granite is present. Amethyst develops on top of granite.
Cutting the Amethyst Down
After the amethyst has been removed from the mines it is sawed down. This is typically done by someone at the mine in order to remove most of the granite from the smooth, purple amethyst. This typically leave behind rather large junk of amethyst which will be further cut down by jewelers to make amethyst gemstones for necklaces, earrings, and other types of jewelry.
Making Amethysts Gems
Once the large pieces of amethysts are shipped or purchased by the gemstone makers they are cut down to traditional gemstone shapes. There a variety of different shapes of gemstone. It depends on taste as well as the piece of jewelry that the amethyst gemstone is being cut for.
Once cut into a shape, which is done most often these days by a laser, the gemstone will be polished and then sent to a jeweler or placed in a waiting piece of jewelry. As the official gemstone of February, amethyst jewelry is extremely popular.
The Jewelry
As with any type of gemstone the cut, clarity, hardness, and color of an amethyst affect its value. The bicolor cut is the most rare and is what jewelers are trying at achieve. This is a cut that manages to illustrate two different tones of the lovely purple-grey stone.
Other factors that affect the worth of an amethyst include the detail with which it was cut, the clarity of which the rock shows, and the ability the actual color. Though all amethyst is purple, there are variations of shade and color.
Amethyst is one of the most popular gems in the world. It is not typically very expensive, though some of the rarer shades and cuts may be a little pricy. In general it is an easy to find stone both in the mine and in the store. Most department stores carry a wide variety of amethyst jewelry. Most rock shops offer a wide range of amethyst pieces, something that many people like to display in their home.
Amethyst is an enchanting stone with a fabulous color and texture. This has kept in the hearts and minds of nearly every culture in the world for thousands of years.