Amethyst

  

A variety of quartz, silicon dioxide, which appears to be dark purple in transparent light. This should be cut so that the long portion of the cabochon is 90 degrees to the direction of the needles.

• Varieties: None
• Sources: Sri Lanka, Brazil, Uruguay, Russia, Mexico, Zimbabwe – Rhodesia, Zambia, Arizona.
• Toughness: Good
• Treatments: On some occasions amethyst is heat-treated to lighten overly dark gems. Any treatments should be disclosed to the buyer.
• History: Amethyst jewelry has been found and dated as early as 2000 BC. Some historical accounts say that Saint Valentine had an amethyst ring carved with an image of Cupid. For those familiar with Old Testament history, amethyst was one of the twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Cuts & Uses: As a rule, amethysts can be cut into any shape or cut style that a diamond or any other stone can. The only difference is that poor quality rough diamonds tend to be used for industrial purposes, while amethysts could end up as beads or cabochons