Amethyst
Amethyst comes from the quartz family and offers a range of shades ranging from slightly tinted transparent, to different shades of violet or even bluish. This mineral, recognizable by its bewitching hues, fascinates as much for its beauty as for its benefits on body and mind.
Amethyst: general data
This fine stone is among the stones most appreciated and worn by Man. Used for millennia, the value of amethyst was very important in antiquity for it belonged to the precious stones; an exceptional stone worn by the most powerful people.
The name of the stone, “amethyst”, comes from the Greek word “amethustos”, made up of the term “methúô” which means “to be drunk”. Amethysts are exceptional fine stones. They are very popular and coveted for their aesthetics and virtues.
How hard is amethyst?
Amethyst is a solid stone with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale and a density of 2.65.
Amethyst stone is then ideal for taking on different forms: round, princess, cushion, radiant, heart, oval or trillion, amethyst is a stone that can be found on many jewelry rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings or pendants.
Amethyst history
Concerning its origins, amethyst mainly comes from deposits in Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, Russia and Uruguay.
The color of this quartz can vary and have different panels of shades of violet ranging from pale violet to sustained violet with the presence of white.
Amethyst composition
Regarding its primary characteristics, amethyst is a variety of quartz composed of silicon dioxide and its color depends on the amount of iron or manganese that composes it. A heat treatment brings changes to the stone; an amethyst heated to more than 250 ° C fades
Heated to 500 ° C, amethyst then becomes a heated citrine with a palette of colors ranging from lemon yellow, to shades of light brown. Natural citrine is recognizable by its uniform color, raw citrine has no white base.
How to recognize a true amethyst?
There are many fake minerals, and that is why it is essential to know some tricks to ensure the authenticity of the stones. A natural amethyst has different shades of purple and is therefore not uniform in color. These shades vary depending on the light, so you can examine your stone on a white surface to make its different shades visible or expose it to a light source and observe its colors.
If your amethysts are one-purple, then they are probably fake amethysts. A true amethyst has these characteristics and is perfectly singular, it differs from other amethysts.
How much does an amethyst cost?
The price of amethysts on the world market varies depending on the carats and the rarity of amethyst stone. Several criteria are thus taken into account: the size, the dimensions of the stone, the intensity of its color as well as its uniformity, weight, mass, polishing, purity or clarity.
Here is an estimate of the prices of amethyst stone:
- Rather common amethysts, whose shade is light to medium and with a weight (carat) of less than 10 carats are usually priced at 3 CHF to 8 CHF per carat.
- Rarer amethyst stones with medium to intense colors, are priced from 6 CHF to 16 CHF per carat.
- The price of rare amethysts with purity classified VS VVS is 12 CHF and can go up to 50 CHF per carat.
- Finally, as to very rare amethysts, the price exceeds 50 CHF per carat.
Lithotherapy: virtues of amethyst
In the science of minerals and crystals, or lithotherapy, amethyst is known for its soothing and purifying properties on the body and mind. Used since ancient times for its power against drunkenness, amethyst is still as popular in lithotherapy.
Stress-relieving, decreased anxiety, increased concentration, amethyst is also known for its ability to calm insomnia. The benefits of amethyst are many and beneficial to body and mind.
Amethyst is particularly known and used as a guardian, because it brings balance, framework and freedom to the person who wears it. It allows the wearer to find and embody his natural authority without excess. The amethyst stone also has the ability to regulate all types of excess: rebellions, revolts or submission and thus allows to protect oneself from anything that could endanger or insecure.
Amethyst is mainly used in lithotherapy for temperance and invites the user to perform more concrete actions. The amethyst stone invites to recharge, to cooperation, commitment, collaboration and thus makes it possible to become aware of its defects or excesses not conducive to satisfaction.
If wearing amethyst stone is too restrictive, wearing it as a bracelet, necklaces, rings, earrings or pendants placed on a jewel or others, is an ideal and aesthetic solution. Wearing a necklace or bracelet allows you to benefit from the virtues and benefits of amethyst stone while preventing it from losing, damaging or breaking the stone. This mineral is widely used in jewelry, so it is possible to find the perfect jewel, bracelet, necklace or ring, it does not change the action of amethyst on the chakra.
Using, cleaning, purifying and recharging your amethyst stone in lithotherapy
There are several use cases for amethyst. In lithotherapy, the most frequent use of amethyst stone is to place it under your pillow during sleep in order to benefit from the virtues of amethyst.
Then, amethyst cures over a fixed period of time are possible. It is said that wearing this stone over several weeks can promote temperance and the appeasement of internal conflicts. In lithotherapy, amethyst is a stone that accompanies the treatment of addictions and obsessive disorders. Amethyst is known for its most important virtue: the regulation and return of an inner balance.
It is thus possible to sleep or meditate on a daily basis with amethysts. Namely, amethyst acts primarily on the chakra governing wisdom and altruism. This chakra is the 7th out of the 7 chakras and is also called the crown chakra.
Cleaning and purification of amethyst: how to recharge your amethyst?
Amethyst is cleaned by simply soaking in water. In order to purify it deeply, it is possible to soak it for 3 to 4 hours in salt water. It is important not to recharge it in sunlight, amethyst is a stone of introspection to find an inner balance, so it is better to recharge your amethyst stone a full night directly under the light of the moon. It is also possible to recharge it on a pile of rock crystal, as this crystal is quite neutral and compatible with most stones. Its purifying properties are beneficial for amethyst, rock crystal has the ability to amplify the power of certain stones.
Finally, amethyst stone can see its colors change over time and uses. In lithotherapy, this means that amethyst loses its potency. In order to avoid the alteration of your stone, it is advisable not to expose it to the sun, the colors of the amethyst stone are altered if it is strongly exposed to the sun’s rays. The purple so characteristic of amethyst stone can turn yellow or even whiten.
