Sterling Silver Amethyst Jewelry
Amethyst, the beautiful purple gemstone is transparent quartz and comes in attractive shades of pale lilac to deep purple and the very popular pale pink called the Rose de France. It is however the dark purple, loved by royalty and worn by bishops that is most popular but not as expensive as other precious stones due to it being available in abundance. This semi precious stone is more sought after for its healing properties and is said to cure blood related diseases while balancing the spirit and calming the nerves. Amethysts were very popular in days gone by when monarchs wore them as rings, necklaces and pendants which is why we call it “Royal Purple”
Even though the amethyst was mostly used in gold settings, the beauty and luster of this sparkling stone is even more obvious when set in silver. This has made sterling silver amethyst a very popular item of jewelry and would look stunning around a swan like neck or on the fragile wrist of a beautiful woman. It is also a very versatile stone that looks equally elegant mixed with Swarovski crystals, zircons or even combined with pearls in a delicate pair of earrings.
Being the birthstone for the month of February, amethyst jewelry is the ideal birthday gift, especially because it’s not very expensive yet extremely durable and therefore can be worn constantly without any damage being caused to the stones. There is something about this beautiful stone that catches anyone’s eyes and maybe this was the reasons why amethyst jewelry was worn by the women of Rome so that their husbands’ eyes would not stray to other women. Costly it might not be, but it has certainly been considered a worthy gemstone to be a part of the British Crown jewels and is said to be a great favorite with British royalty.
A gemstone that is easy to handle, amethysts are made into some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry imaginable with the more popular cuts being Classic, Chic and antique. The combination of amethyst with silver makes for some stunning pieces that can give a good run for its money when compared with diamonds and reputable jewelers have no problem is selling their sterling silver amethyst jewelry to eager buyers who simply cannot resist the stunning effect of this stone against any color skin.
Although the amethyst is known as the purple stone, the green colored gemstone is more valuable because it’s rare and not as easily available as the purple amethyst. This has also made it one of the most expensive stones resulting in its demand increasing by those who collect valuable gemstones. Unfortunately however, the rising demand has found a market in laboratory treated stones that use irradiation to change the color of the natural amethyst to a shade of deep sparkling green. The problem however is identifying which is the real green amethyst and which has been heat treated because the latter is far less expensive than the true green amethyst.
Care should be taken when cleaning sterling silver amethyst jewelry by making sure that no harsh chemical are used, since it would diminish the sparkle of the stone. A mixture of warm soap water and a soft brush is all that is required to clean amethysts and by making sure that you do not expose them to extremes of temperature, you will be able to enjoy your sterling silver amethyst jewelry for a long time.