Amethyst is often recommended for people who suffer from insomnia and high amounts of stress. Unsurprisingly, given its past associations with calmness and a general sense of being even keel, it is also believed to grant its wearer better judgment and grant them a degree of tranquility. It is also said to balance the bodyās hormones and alleviate headaches.Ā While thereās a range of colors for the stone, its somewhat limited; anywhere from a pale lavender-like color to a dark reddish purple. Generally, the darker the stone, the more valuable it is.Ā
Amethystās name is derived from the Greek āamethustosā, meaning āsoberā. Ironically, Greeks believed that the stone received its trademark purple color from the tears of Dionysus, the god of wine and debauchery, and that, if one drank from a chalice made entirely of amethyst, they would remain sober. Appropriately enough, Egyptians associated it with the image of a goat, a traditional foe of vines and vineyards, and thus a symbol of sobriety. This association with a sense of decorum followed into the Middle Ages, where high-ranking members of the Catholic Church wore the gem as a sign of their chastity. Later during the Renaissance, the jewel came to symbolize humility and modesty. Like topaz, a large amount of amethyst is mined in Brazil and in Uruguay.Ā
Quartz
SiO2
1.544 - 1.553
0,009
2,65
7 (Moh's Scale)