Amethyst: February's purple Birthstone

Lucky February babies have a birthstone that was the 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 night out, where to find this stone in Ireland, and four reasons why amethyst is a great choice for jewellery today.

What is Amethyst?

Amethyst is a variety of a very hard mineral called quartz with a colour that ranges from light lavender to a deep purple. This stone gets its lovely colour from minute amounts of iron and other trace elements included in a structure made of silica and oxygen.

When and why was Amethyst first used in jewellery?

Also associated with the 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries, amethyst has been used in jewellery as far back as the ancient Egyptians. The early Greeks associated amethyst with Dionysus, the god of wine in part because of the gemstone’s rich purple, wine-like colour. This association is where the gem gets its name. Amethystos means “not intoxicated” in ancient Greek! They believed you could drink all night and remain sober if you drank from an amethyst cup or had the gem on your person. An interesting reason to wear Amethyst jewellery! Can't say we've ever tested this particular idea out, but we wouldn’t put too much store in it!

What symbolism and associations does Amethyst have?

This proposed protective power from hangovers lead many to associate amethyst with health too. Amethyst was used to aid the healing of wounds by early Christians, 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.

But it was only the very wealthy who got these perks, as amethyst was as expensive as sapphire, diamond, ruby and emerald until the 18th century. It was used in the crown jewels for many royal families and Catherine the Great was reportedly a fan. The colour purple was historically associated with royalty and power, making amethyst a regal choice!

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 Roman 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. And so this amethyst ring became a symbol of love and the association with St. Valentine stuck.

Amethyst and Achill Island, Ireland

For those keen to find their own piece of amethyst, keep your eyes peeled if you find yourself on Achill island of Ireland's wild Atlantic 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.

This road cuts into a cliff face made of rock 750 - 600 million years old that is rich in quartz. Between two layers in this rock is a seam of amethyst. There is a fine local bar named in this lovely gems honor and folklore attests to it's benefits for protection from inebriation and attack, or as an aid to love and sleep. Achill island amethyst can be found in numerous mineral 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! Value assessed by 4’Cs but given quite large, high quality gems are common, the carat is the least important factor. Colour and clarity are most important. Most go for eye clean amethyst with a rich purple colour so these are the most expensive stones. But really colour is really down to preference and some prefer lighter lilac hues.

2) Amethyst is Tough

Like all quartz, amethyst is quite 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 for gemstone cutting and polishing with beautiful colour and clarity that 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 colour 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 colour can fade with prolonged exposure to strong light. So not a gem for a summer at the beach! But then wearing precious jewellery to the beach is probably not the best idea generally!

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 jewellery 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 royal present - especially for those born in February.