Since the time of the ancient Greeks, beautiful purple amethysts have been cherished. The Greeks connected these stones with the wine god Bacchus because of their hue, which resembled grapes. Since the word “amethyst” in ancient Greek meant “not drunk,” they believed that wearing one might keep you sober. Amethyst jewelry, according to gemstone lore, makes its owner wise and logical. Amethysts are said to increase intelligence and shield against negative thoughts, according to the artist Leonardo da Vinci.
Amethysts are widely used in royal and holy jewelry because purple has traditionally been regarded as a regal color due to its rare beauty and the high cost of producing the color for cloth. Amethyst is a gemstone that is frequently used in Tibetan prayer beads because it is thought by Buddhists to improve concentration. Amethyst has been equated by many civilizations with courage, tranquility, and harmony. It has also been said to be able to treat sleeplessness and ease pain.
Amethysts were as valuable and costly as emeralds, sapphires, and rubies until the 19th century, when a significant amethyst resource was found in Brazil. Large amethysts were able to be utilized more frequently in jewelry thanks to the abundance of Brazilian gems, despite the fact that this decreased the gems’ financial value. The Art Deco and Retro eras’ striking cocktail rings frequently feature them.
In This Article...
What are February’s two birthstones?
Jasper is a lovely, earthy stone for jewelry and is thought to be associated with courage and wisdom. It is also helpful for fostering strength and stability.
For February birthdays, two exquisite birthstone possibilities are amethyst and jasper. Amethyst’s violet tones and green jasper’s rich, earthy tones are stunning on their own and in combination. Visit our Education Center for more details about amethyst, ametrine, and bloodstone, and browse our whole selection of amethyst and jasper.
JanuaryGarnet
Garnet, the birthstone for January, is said to protect its owner when they are traveling. Because the gem resembles the color and shape of a pomegranate seed, the name “garnet” is derived from a term that means “seed.
FebruaryAmethyst
Amethyst, the birthstone for February, is thought to improve communication and offer the wearer bravery. Only royalty could wear the jewel in the past. The amethyst was believed to protect against intoxication by the ancient Greeks. Amethyst is really derived from the Greek word amethystos, which means “sober.”
MarchAquamarine, Bloodstone
Drinking the water the aquamarine, the birthstone for March, had been bathing in was said to cure stomach, liver, and heart ailments. Early sailors thought that aquamarine talismans bearing engravings of the sea god Neptune shielded them from the perils of the ocean.
The bloodstone, a dark green gemstone with scarlet flecks, is another birthstone for March.
AprilDiamond
The diamond, the birthstone for April, has long been associated with courage and is a symbol of unending love. The Sanskrit word for diamond is vajra, which also means lightning. In Hindu mythology, Indra, the king of the gods, used vajra as his weapon.
MayEmerald
Emerald, the birthstone for May, was a favorite jewel of Cleopatra’s. It has been linked to love, rebirth, and fertility for a very long time. This stone was even dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, by the ancient Romans. Emeralds are now considered to represent knowledge, development, and patience.
JunePearl
Pearl, the birthstone for June, has traditionally been associated with purity. The goddess of love Aphrodite was thought by the ancient Greeks to have created pearls out of her dried up tears of ecstasy.
JulyRuby
The ancient Hindus revered ruby, the birthstone for July, as the “king of stones.” It was thought to keep the wearer safe from evil. The intense red color of the ruby now stands for passion and love.
AugustPeridot
Peridot, the birthstone for August, represents fortitude. Due to its pale green hue, it is frequently referred to as the “evening emerald.” The green peridot crystals discovered in volcanic ashes were once thought to represent the tears of Pele, the volcano goddess. This diamond was thought to ward off nightmares when set in gold.
SeptemberSapphire
Sapphire, the birthstone for September, was long supposed to ward off evil and poisoning. It was thought that putting a poisonous snake in a sapphire container would cause it to die. The sapphire, which has historically been a favored stone of priests and rulers, stands both innocence and knowledge.
OctoberOpal
Opal, the birthstone for October, represents loyalty and assurance. The term is derived from the Latin word opalus, which means “precious jewel.” Opal-set necklaces were worn to ward off evil and preserve vision.
DecemberTurquoise
Turquoise, the birthstone for December, is viewed as a love charm. It is also a representation of luck and success, and wearing one is said to calm the mind and shield the person from harm. Particularly turquoise rings are said to ward off evil spirits.
Learn More
Do you know your natal flower now that you know your birthstone? See our page of flowers by birth month!
Enjoy our birthday facts, history, folklore, and other fun stuff on our birthdays page.
Is February’s birthstone amethyst?
The gemstone amethyst is the birthstone for February and the sixth and seventeenth wedding anniversaries. The Amethyst is a kind of quartz that is distinguished by its numerous purple hues, ranging from lilac to deep violet. It has a lengthy and enigmatic past.
What shade does February have?
The birthstone for February is amethyst, a form of quartz with a stunning purple color that ranges from a combination of deep violet and red to a lighter lilac hue. Ancient Greeks thought that wearing the stone prevented intoxication and helped the wearer maintain a level head.
Why is amethyst used?
boosts nobility
religious consciousness
Psychic prowess
inner harmony and recovery
Body, mind, and soul healing
transformation for the better
MeditationBalance
reduces tension
Communication
Amethyst is a strong and shielding gemstone.
It defends against psychic assault, transforming the energy into love and shielding the user from all damage, such as geopathic or electromagnetic stress and bad intentions from others.
Amethyst is a natural tranquilizer that reduces stress and tension, calms impatience, stabilizes mood swings, and calms fear, anxiety, and aggression.
reduces pain and misery and dispels negativity.
Amethyst stimulates psychic skills, opens intuition, and awakens spiritual consciousness.
It has great cleansing and healing abilities.
Amethyst promotes sobriety and has a sobering effect on excessive use of drugs, alcohol, or other addictions.
It stimulates and soothes the mind, making it easier to focus, remember things better, and be more motivated.
Amethyst helps in dream recall and comprehension.
It eases sleeplessness.
promotes generosity and spiritual discernment.
Amethyst regulates the endocrine system, metabolism, and hormone synthesis.
It boosts the immune system, lowers discomfort and strengthens the body to fight against cancer. It helps with tissue regeneration and eliminates cancerous tumors. blood is cleaned. relieves stress or discomfort that is mental, emotional, or physical. Amethyst reduces tension and eases headaches. It relieves hearing impairments and lessens bruising, swellings, and injuries. Amethyst is effective in treating gastrointestinal ailments, skin conditions, cellular diseases, and respiratory and respiratory tract illnesses.
What gemstone suits Aquarius best?
Amethyst is the fortunate stone for Aquarius. Wearing this stone can have a significant impact on a person’s relationships, personality, and career.
What abilities does amethyst possess?
alleged therapeutic properties of amethyst
- improving immunological function.
- enhancing endocrine performance.
- enhancing the look of the skin.
- encouraging good digestive health
- headache reduction
- controlling hormones
What does amethyst guard you against?
Amethyst was utilized by mystics in the Middle Ages to treat everything from acne to spider bites. This purple sparkler is well-known and simple to find in a variety of shapes. Amethyst, which is well-known for offering emotional and spiritual protection, can help you enter your higher awareness by erasing worried or addicted thought patterns. Its high vibration both inhibits stressful and negative energy and promotes mental tranquility. You can avoid nightmares by putting an amethyst on your nightstand or in your pillow.
Amethyst appears in the Bible?
The quartz family of gems, which also includes citrine and prasiolite, is led by the gemstone amethyst. All the features of this mineral are beautifully displayed in the gem, which comes in a range of colors from delicate light pinks to deep dark purples. Amethyst continues to be one of the most popular gemstones on the market. It is renowned for having eye-clean clarity in many specimens and for being easily accessible in substantial carat weights. Let’s look at additional information about amethyst and its variants, which have a fascinating history and a variety of colors.
THE HISTORY OF AMETHYST
Amethyst has been used in simple jewelry since the Neolithic era (about 4,000 BC), and pieces of it set into gold rings have been discovered in burial sites dating back to around 2,400 BC.
Purple Quartz is known as amethyst, and some people think that the term comes from the Greek words “a” for “not” and “methustos” for “to intoxicate.” It was once believed that affluent lords who want to maintain their sobriety possessed drinking cups or goblets crafted of amethyst. While serving wine to their guests, they might give themselves water because the gem’s deep purple color would make the liquid appear to be wine, giving the lord the impression that he is having a drink. Along the same lines, it was once believed that adding crushed Amethyst to a person’s drink may prevent a drunk from becoming insane.
Greek mythology contains a storyline about the god of drunkenness Dionysus and a young, attractive woman named Amethystos who spurned his overtures. Amethystos was en route to worship the goddess Diana when Dionysus unleashed a pack of vicious tigers. Diana protected her from the approaching tigers by transforming her into a statue of flawless crystalline quartz before they got to her. He shed wine-colored tears as he was horrified by what he had almost done to Amethystos and humbled by her resolve. According to legend, his tears caused the colorless Quartz to become purple, resulting in Amethyst.
In the Old Testament, amethyst is referenced as one of the twelve stones symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. It was also one of the twelve gems adorning the high priest Aaron’s breastplate (Exodus 39). Since the Middle Ages, Amethyst has been set into rings and worn by Cardinals, Bishops, and Priests of the Catholic Church because of its relationship with piety and chastity. The stone has been treasured by monarchs over the years in addition to being used by the Church, and numerous pieces can be found in the British Crown Jewels. Catherine the Great was rumored to have preferred amethyst.
Early in the 1800s, a bracelet worn by Queen Charlotte of England was valued at 200. A new discovery of amethyst reserves was made in Brazil shortly thereafter, though, which significantly decreased the value of the Queen’s bracelet. This serves as a good illustration of how supply and demand, much like the stock market, can affect the price of real gemstones. As mines finally run dry, prices have a tendency to rise; as new discoveries are discovered, prices for gemstones typically fall.
Due to its connection with St. Valentine, amethyst has a long and romantic history. Since the patron saint of romantic love was depicted wearing an amethyst ring with the figure of Cupid, the birthstone for the month of February is amethyst. Amethyst, according to Leonardo Da Vinci, sharpens intelligence and aids in banishing evil thoughts.
AMETHYST GEMSTONE INFORMATION
The designated gemstone for Wednesday is amethyst, which is also the birthstone for February. The designated gemstone for the sixth and seventeenth wedding anniversaries is also emerald. A trigonal crystal structure is present in the gem. Amethyst comes in a variety of hues, ranging from a pale, faintly lavender-pinkish tone to a deep purple that resembles the color of Cabernet Sauvignon. Amethyst can also be a little pleochroic, which means that depending on how the light strikes the gem, multiple hues of red and blue can be observed. The stone would be colorless without the iron particles that give it its color. The intensity of the hue depends on how much iron is present in each stone.
It was formerly as valuable as emerald, but Brazil’s massive mining operations, which have since reduced, let them to dominate the gemstone market in the 19th century. Due to its excellent clarity and distinctive natural deep purple body color, amethyst continues to be the most expensive and sought-after form of quartz. Amethyst of high quality can be found in Brazil, Zambia, and most recently, Morocco, where an exquisite and wholly unique variation was unearthed.
This stone forms over millions of years imbedded in its host rock in other regions and in hollow, crystal-lined geodes in Brazil. The deep “Siberian” purple that is reminiscent of the original source, which is now depleted, is the most desired shade for Amethyst’s body color. The two main hue groupings that make up the best amethyst specimens are deep purple with cold blue undertones and reddish-purple, also known as “raspberry” purple.
There are numerous methods for grading or naming gemstones because there is no one dominant organization or governing body in the field. For instance, many organizations in the jewelry sector refer to green quartz as green amethyst, while others call it vermarine, prasiolite, or amegreen. This is a very contentious issue in the gem industry, with some people holding the opinion that Amethyst should only be used to describe purple Quartz, while others assert that if a Quartz’s green color is the result of heat treatment, it should be called Green Amethyst, and still others assert that it should be called Green Quartz or Prasiolite. In addition to Namibia, the US state of Nevada, Zambia, and Tanzania, claims of natural Green Amethyst discoveries have also been made. Prasiolite has been reported to occur naturally in a small mine in Silesia, Poland.
Amethyst comes in a variety of tones, each with its own prefix. Even though historically they came from Siberia before the mines were exhausted, the term “Siberian Amethyst” refers to darker Amethyst that often has a tone of 75-80%. “Rose de France Amethyst” is the name given to amethyst that has a 2030% pinkish tone. Amethyst is a tough and resilient gemstone with a Mohs hardness rating of 7. The gem is good for cutting since it frequently forms lengthy prismatic crystals when it is in its raw state. It is typically cut into round brilliant forms since its color can frequently seem banded. This helps the gem reflect a more consistent color when viewed via the table or crown facets.
In Austria’s Maissau, one of the biggest amethyst mines in the world is remarkable in that it is accessible to the general public. If you’re up for a longer trip, the Amethyst mines in Brazil are among the best in the world. As long as you don’t mind a little bit of roughing it, you’ll have a terrific time meeting the local artisan miners.
AMETHYST CRYSTAL HEALING
Gemstones have existed for as long as recorded history, and in the years since their initial discovery, they have attracted a lot more admirers than just mineralogists and loving collectors. Even if there is no proof that any of these traits are true, many have acquired stories about their lore, legends, and healing abilities. Nevertheless, it is intriguing to investigate the occult side of Mother Nature’s wonders. We should consider the question, “Does something have to be real if you truly believe it to be true? The response is false in terms of science, but what about in terms of a more intimate, spiritual level? Are you more likely to have that influence if you honestly believe that anything in your home is having an impact on you? It’s really not up to us to judge, but it’s a highly intriguing idea that merits more study. The following material is provided solely for your knowledge; once again, studies have never discovered any medicinal effects or characteristics in gemstones.
Some people view amethyst as a representation of serenity and modesty. Amethyst is said to have the ability to transform wrath into tranquility, and crystal healers utilize it to transform negative energy into positive energy. Its purported meditative and restorative properties have been related to its popularity. It is also believed to cleanse the mind, body, and soul while assisting in the chakras’ realignment. It is also connected to the Pisces zodiac sign.
HOW TO CLEAN AMETHYST
Due to the gem’s relative toughness, amethyst can be cleaned using a soft cloth or brush and warm, soapy water (a light dishwashing liquid will do). Keep in mind to clean the bottom of the stone because dirt trapped there will prevent some light from entering the stone and could cause it to appear duller than usual. Never clean Amethyst with harsh household products. You can always purchase specialized jewelry cleaning cloths to assist with cleaning your Amethyst jewelry, which is simple to do.