Amethyst from neighboring Uruguay tends to be a rich purple, a color known as Siberian because stones mined in Siberia used to be very rich in color. Rose de France amethyst is almost pink, and famously found here. However, it also tends to have a purple coloration that’s less saturated. Brazilian purple quartz is especially well known for being very clean, with few inclusions. More recently, during the 19th century, additional gemstones were found in Africa and South America. Over the years, most of these deposits have had the remainder of their gemstones successfully mined. Historically, the best amethyst was mined in the Alpine regions of Germany and Austria, as well as the Urals and Siberia in Russia, and lastly Afghanistan.īecause of the significant deposits in Europe and Central Asia, the stone has long been popular among European royalty. However, there are some larger deposits that are more commercially viable. In this way, amethyst requires certain chemical and geological conditions to be present during crystal formation.Īmethyst is relatively common, with small deposits in a lot of locations. However, there are situations where the iron can be placed in such a way that there’s a deeper color with less iron. The more iron and radiation, the darker the purple color. However when the entire crystal is exposed to radiation and heat, the iron makes it turn purple. Nobody will say that amethyst is a “wrong” choice for that type of jewelry, but it has significant drawbacks over the more traditional sapphire or diamond ring.Īmethysts are formed from an otherwise colorless mineral when iron is added to the crystal structure. In particular, this means it can be used in jewelry that’s worn regularly, but a purple quartz engagement ring would have to be polished after a few years. This mineral has a hardness of 7, making it significantly softer than many other gemstones. Some types of quartz have a specific variety name (citrine) while others are called by their color (rose quartz). So, what should you know about amethyst and its distinctive color?Īt its most basic, amethyst is simply purple quartz, or Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). Before the discovery of this purple gemstone in Brazil, they were considered quite rare and expensive: almost as much so as rubies, sapphires and emeralds.Īdditional supply wasn’t kind to amethyst prices for investors, but it’s now an excellent budget choice if you want to give yourself (or someone you love) a lovely piece of jewelry. After all, it’s a fairly common stone, and people find it to be a good value. If you like the color purple, then you’re probably aware that amethyst is the most famous of purple gemstones.
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