One of the biggest deposits were discovered in Brazil which is still the largest global producer today. This Stone is one of the most valuable members of the quartz family and is often used in jewelry, tumbled into pocket stones, or left raw and used as decoration or incorporated into a person’s meditation routine.Ī very common crystal that can be found all around the world, mainly in South and North America as well as Africa. It’s truly a versatile stone in appearance. Amethysts can grown stalactites or ‘eyes’ when they are cut or polished. If can have growth patterns from a rough chunk, to a tiny druzy and up to a super chunky point formation. This crystal may have slight hues of red, green or black that will range from gray, to pink and more. Additionally, the presence of these minerals can also affect the energy and metaphysical properties of the amethyst, creating unique combinations of healing properties.Īmethyst can also include iron and hematite which will also cause a variety of colors from yellows to pinks to blacks.Īmethyst gets its purple coloring from irradiation, impurities of iron, and other metals and miners like hematite and chlorite present in the mineral. These inclusions can greatly enhance the beauty and value of an amethyst crystal, and are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. Quartz and citrine are also known to grow with amethyst, as well as other types of minerals like smoky quartz and agate. One mineral commonly found with amethyst is calcite, which can form small, transparent crystals or cloudy, opaque masses. Inside these geodes, various other minerals can grow on or within the amethyst crystals, creating unique and beautiful patterns. Similarly Siderite can grow on and in amethyst and will either be a sparkle tan-orange hue botryoidal formation on top, or a white-tan dot under the surface.Īmethyst often grows in geodes, which are hollow rock cavities lined with inward-facing crystals. Hollandite, on the other hand, forms as black, platy crystals that grow near the surface of amethyst and often look like little black furballs. Goethite is a mineral that often forms in fibrous, needle-like structures that can appear as golden-brown hair-like strands growing on or within amethyst crystals. Goethite and Hollandite are two minerals that are commonly found growing on or inside amethyst crystals, creating beautiful and unique formations. Many actually! Amethyst crystals can also contain a variety of other minerals and crystals, some of which can create stunning visual effects. It is typical to find amethyst with phantoms, growth patterns with an ombre hue, and even chevron lines. Amethyst has a hexagonal crystalline structure, meaning that it will always have six sides. When looking into the gem, you may see a feather or fingerprint pattered texture inside of the stone. This crystal has conchoidal fractures (circular fractures that look like ripples in water) when a large raw chunk is broken. But let’s be honest, most people know a classic amethyst when they see it! : ) You can identify Amethyst by its hardness, fractures, shape, and stripes that may be present. Amethyst can range from translucent to opaque, but it is most commonly found as translucent with an opaque base where it had formed in the cracks of a rock or a geode. The rock’s surface when fractures appear in the mineral is uneven and conchoidal.Īmethyst is a purple variety of quartz crystal found in a light lavender to deep purple coloring in its typical form, but read on for more. It measures a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale which means it is a hard crystal that is durable.
According to the Smithsonian, the purple color was given to the amethyst by the God of wine. This points out that the gemstone is known for encouraging balance, serenity and clarity into the users’ life. Depending on the components in the mineral, there can also be variations such as Ametrine, Mossy Amethyst, Cape Amethyst and others.Īmethyst gets its name from the Greek word “améthystos“ which means “not intoxicated”.
The traces of iron and other impurities give it that unique very well- known purple coloring we all can recognize. There needs to be the right environment for them to bloom which includes silica and ferric iron that meet inside the hollowed- out rocks.
It is formed and found deep inside igneous volcanic rocks. Amethyst is a member of the Quartz family.
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