Amethyst wearers are a sober bunch. At least according to the ancient Greeks who believed they were protected from being drunk by wearing this precious stone. In fact they even drank from cups made from amethyst to prevent drunkenness. However, I don’t recommend you try it on their say so!
There are many beliefs surrounding the amethyst including this little poem, though the author is unknown.
“The February-born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they an amethyst will wear.”
As the poem states, the amethyst is the birthstone of those born in February. It is a stone believed to have a calming effect, promoting a sense of balance and peace, even eliminating impatience. (Might be handy for wearing on long car journeys with bored children!)
It has been used to symbolise deep love, happiness, humility, sincerity and wealth. The Hebrew word for amethyst is "ahlamah” which means "dream”; the stone was supposed to cause pleasant and lucid dreams and visions… and if you dream of amethyst you will be free from harm.
The amethyst from the quartz family comes in a variety of purple shades including deep purple, lilac, lavender, mauve and sometimes almost red. The depth of colour is usually indicative of the quality of the stone with the darker colour indicating the better quality of amethyst.
Most amethysts are mined in Brazil, Uruguay and other regions such as Russia, Mexico, USA and Canada. Over a ton of amethyst was once found in a cavern in Maine.
What I've stated about the qualities attributed to the amethyst is just the tip of the iceberg. They certainly are believed to be highly positive to those wearing them. But you could of course just wear a piece of amethyst jewellery because it looks beautiful. Sounds like a good enough reason to me.
