Raw Amethyst Crystals and Mineral Specimen

Amethyst

Amethyst is a silicon dioxide mineral that forms in trigonal & hexagonal prisms.  It is a member of the quartz family and tends to have dark to light violet, pale red-violet, and purple tones.  In some rare cases, you will find amethyst in green (prasiolite) or reddish brown tones as well. This color comes from natural and applied irradiation, and from the combination of trace amounts of iron and aluminum.

Crystals and gem rough are found in numerous locations through the world with some of the most popular being mined from South America in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, and Uruguay.  Other notable sources are Mexico, Africa, Canada, Russia, United States, and Europe. The world’s most important amethyst deposits are usually found in the fractures and cavities of igneous rock.  Scientists are not 100% sure on how amethyst geodes are formed, but have come to a scientific consensus that they are created in a two-step process.  An amethyst geode is a hollow rock with crystals lining the inner walls, so a cavity must be formed first. This will happen when there is lava close to the earth’s surface, so the first step in the natural process that creates amethyst geodes is the forming of gas cavities in lava. Cavities then start to fill up with silica-rich liquid that contains trace amounts of iron. Eventually the liquid will form into crystals which result in amethyst geodes!  Amethyst can be found in various shapes and forms such as druzy crystal aggregates, scepters, split-growth crystals, as individual crystals and as hydrothermal vein filling.

*It is recommended that one does not expose amethyst to direct sunlight for long periods of time. The color can fade or turn pale due to the ultraviolet radiation.

Other notable information on Amethyst

• Refractive index:  1.54-1.55

(refractive index or index of refraction of a material is a dimensionless number that describes how light propagates through that medium)

• Specific gravity:  2.6-2.7

(specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance; equivalently, it is the ratio of the mass of a substance to the mass of a reference substance for the same given volume)

• Moh’s scale:  7

(scale of hardness running from 1 to 10 using a series of reference minerals; position on scale depends on the ability to scratch minerals rated lower)

Metaphysical attributes of Amethyst

Amethyst has been prized for its beauty and energies for thousands of years!  The word “amethyst” comes from an ancient Greek myth meaning “not drunken” which means it could prevent intoxication, calm anger and relieve frustration in passion.  Amethyst is a meditative and calming stone which works in the emotional, spiritual, and physical planes to promote calm, balance, and peace. It is also used to eliminate impatience.