Amethyst: February's Purple Birthstone
Written by Jane on Jan 30, 2026 | 0 Comments
February babies have a birthstone that has been a choice of royalty for centuries. Amethyst also has a pretty impressive list of abilities and associations!
Read on to find out why the Greeks wore amethyst on a big night out, where to find this stone in Ireland, its links to St. Valentine, as well as four reasons why amethyst is a great choice for jewelry today.
What is Amethyst?
Amethyst is a variety of a very hard mineral called quartz, with a color that ranges from light lavender to a deep purple. This stone gets its lovely color from minute amounts of iron and other trace elements in a structure made of silica and oxygen.
Photo Credit: Martin Heigan (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
When and why was Amethyst first used in jewelry?
Amethyst has been used in jewelry dating as far back as ancient Egypt! The early Greeks associated amethyst with Dionysus, the god of wine, in part because of the gemstone’s rich purple, wine-like color.
The association with the god of wine is where the gem gets its name. Amethystos means “not intoxicated” in ancient Greek! The ancient Greeks believed you could drink all night and remain sober if you drank from an amethyst cup or wore the gem.
A Greek gold ring with amethyst on the bezel - just the accessory for a big night out in Athens.
Certainly an interesting reason to wear amethyst jewelry, but we can't say we've ever tested this particular idea out. We wouldn’t advise putting too much store in it!
What symbolism and associations does Amethyst have?
This proposed protective power from hangovers led many to associate amethyst with health. Amethyst was used by early Christians to aid wound healing, and many wore it in the Middle Ages, as it was also believed to keep them cool-headed in business dealings or on the battlefield.
Leonardo Da Vinci believed his amethyst protected him from evil thoughts and stimulated his great intellect.
A roman cameo carved in amethyst. depicting a portrait of a satyr, a companion of the god Dionysus, from early imperial period.
Photo Credit: Fine Arts Museum Vienna, Austria (CC BY-NC-SA.)
Amethyst and royalty
For many centuries, it was only the very wealthy who got to enjoy these perks, as amethyst was as expensive as sapphire, diamond, ruby and emerald until the 1700s. It was used in the crown jewels for many royal families and Catherine the Great was reportedly a fan. The color purple was historically associated with royalty and power, making amethyst a regal choice!
Amethyst and St. Valentine
Amethyst also has strong associations with love. St Valentine himself was said to wear an amethyst ring engraved with a cupid. He reportedly wore this ring to signal to soldiers in love who wished to wed their sweethearts. These men had to wed in secret as Emperor Claudius II banned the practice, believing unwed soldiers were better on the battlefield! This amethyst ring became a symbol of love, and the association with St. Valentine stuck.
The Shrine of St. Valentine in Whitefriar St. Church in Dublin
Perhaps the strong links to romance and love also lead to it being associated with two wedding anniversaries - the stone for both the 6th and the 17th year of marriage, as well as being the birthstone for lucky February babies.
Amethyst and Ireland
For those keen to find their own piece of amethyst, keep your eyes peeled if you find yourself on Achill island just off Ireland's wild Atlantic west coast. Specifically, the hair-raising road that descends into stunning Keem Bay, recently and deservedly listed as one of the top 100 most beautiful beaches in the world by Lonely Planet.
It can be heard to tear your eyes from Keem Beach on the decent to the bay but we do recommend keeping your eyes on the road rather than the cliffs in search of Achill Amethyst!
Photo Credit: J. Chadwick
This road cuts into a cliff face made of rock hundreds of millions of years old that is rich in quartz. Between two layers of this rock is a seam of amethyst. There is a fine local bar named in the gem's honor, and folklore attests to its benefits for protection from inebriation and attack, or as an aid to love and sleep! Today, Achill Island amethyst can be found in numerous collections around the world.
Four reasons to choose amethyst jewlery today
1) Amethyst is beautiful but accessible
Amethyst became a much more accessible gemstone when large deposits were discovered in Brazil and several other locations worldwide, bringing down the price considerably! Its value is assessed by 4’Cs, but given that quite large, high-quality gems are common, the carat is the least important factor in Amethyst's price- it's color and clarity that are most important. Most go for eye-clean amethyst with a rich purple color, so these are the most expensive stones. But color is really down to preference, and some prefer lighter lilac hues.
2) Amethyst is Tough
Like all quartz, amethyst is hard, ranking at a 7 on mohs scale (1 to 10). It has no internal planes of weakness so it is also relatively tough. These factors make it a good choice for gemstone cutting and polishing. Its beautiful color and clarity mean it can be used in any type of jewlery, including harder wearing pieces like rings and bracelets.
3) Amethyst is easy to care for
Amethyst is a great stone to add a touch of color to a piece that can look fantastic with a lifetime of wear. Just be sure to keep it away from intense heat or prolonged exposure to very bright light. Intense heat can damage amethyst and it’s lovely color can fade with prolonged exposure to strong light.
Otherwise it is relatively easy to care for. Give it a gentle cleaning and keep it away from harder stones like diamond so it won’t get scratched and it will look beautiful as the day you bought it throughout a lifetime of wear.
4) Amethyst has strong associations
As we saw above, amethyst was the choice of St. Valentine and has been a go-to stone for jewelry to mark love and friendship for centuries. And given the association with royalty, amethyst is the perfect stone for the “king” or “queen” in your life, for an anniversary, or for treating yourself to a regal gift - especially for those born in February.
Our top Picks for Amethyst
Get In Touch
Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to see what's new and upcoming. Join our Email list for early offers and special features.
Jane
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Dublin but reared in Canada, as a child I had an interest in Ireland that will be familiar to many young emigrants. I was completely fascinated, wanting to know all about the land of my parents and grandparents. Rare month-long family trips back "Home" cemented my love for Ireland. And I wore my Irish heritage with pride, sporting my tiny silver Claddagh gifted to me by my Irish grandparents until my finger grew too large for it!
As a young adult I moved back to Dublin, studying Geology and Mineralogy in university at historic Trinity College Dublin. After living in Denmark and the Netherlands working as a scientist and university mineralogy lecturer, I finally settled back home in Dublin. I joined the growing family at My Irish Jeweler in 2016, bringing my useful knowledge of metals and minerals as well as my perspective as an Irish emigrant with a love for HOME.
Comments
Ask Gemma
