The Greek word "amethystos" may be translated as "not drunken", from Greek a-, "not" + methustos, "intoxicated". The ancient Greeks carved goblets of amethyst in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. Because of its wine like color, early Greek legends associated amethyst with Bacchus, the god of wine. It’s said that there were ten stones upon which the names of the tribes of Israel were engraved, and amethyst is believed to have been one of such stones. It is even thought that the breast plate of the high priest of Israel was adorned with an amethyst as its ninth stone. Members of the Catholic clergy wore amethyst stone in their crosses because their amethyst meaning was one of piety and celibacy. It’s color was meant to symbolize royalty and an allegiance to Christ. Christian bishops once wore amethyst jewelry in the form of a ring. As such, it was highlighted as part of their crowns, scepters and rings. Their belief was that the amethyst crystal meaning was synonymous with luxury. These ancient civilizations placed a high value in this stone. The Neolithic people in Europe now view it as a mere decorative emblem around 25,000 B.C., Ancient Greeks and Romans used amethyst in several ways from beads in jewelry to amulets. This gemstone has a rich history of astonishing civilizations with its stunning, saturated beauty. One of the biggest examples of a gemstone misnomer today is "green amethyst" which should never be called amethyst. All other gem quality quartz should not be termed amethyst. Amethyst also commonly shows what is called color zoning, which in the case of amethyst usually consists of angular zones of darker to lighter color. Its purple color can be cool and bluish, or a reddish purple that’s sometimes referred to as “raspberry.” Amethyst’s purple color can range from a light lilac to a deep, intense royal purple, and from brownish to vivid. It’s the gemstone that’s most commonly associated with the color purple, even though there are other purple gems such as sapphire and tanzanite. Today amethyst is found in many places including Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Africa, Canada, Russia, USA and Europe.Īmethyst is the purple (and only purple) variety of the quartz family of gemstones. It’s no wonder that fine amethyst adorns the fingers of bishops as well as the coronation regalia of British royalty. Amethyst was as expensive as ruby and emerald until the 19th Century, when Brazil’s large deposits were discovered. Thus, if one was born in the month of February, and one wears an amethyst (one's "birthstone"), one should attract good fortune.ĭespite being abundant today, amethyst has been one of the world’s most revered stones for many centuries. The wearing of one's birthstone is traditionally thought to be lucky. George Frederick Kunz, in The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, states that the custom began in Poland during the 18th century. Oddly enough, the idea of wearing one's birthstone - that is, wearing a piece of jewelry containing the gemstone associated with the month one was born in - appears to be much more recent. The idea that certain birthstones were associated with certain months goes back at least to the 1st century CE. And people began to select birthstones in colors other than the original. In time, birthstones became associated with calendar months rather than the zodiac. Color was thought to unleash the power attributed to the birthstone. Tradition associates a gem with each sign of the zodiac based on a color system.
For instance, amethyst was said to prevent intoxication. Some minerals were thought to contain a force or possess certain values and powers. The choice is ultimately yours! For example, a person born on July 14 will have ruby as a month birthstone, agate and beryl as Cancer zodiac sign birthstones, sapphire as guardian angel birthstone, and topaz as special apostle birth gem.Early civilization as far back as the Assyrians (1400 BC) invested rare and beautiful gemstones with magical properties. Each person has a choice of at least 4 birthstones that can be worn separately or combined. The lists are presented in tables below this article. Multiple birthstone lists exist, and I would like to present the 4 most distinct lists of birthstones: according to birth month, zodiac signs birthstones, special apostle and guardian angel birthstones. And surely those birthstones can look stunning! Monthly birthstone colors provide an amazing rainbow to adore and choose from! The owner of a jewelry piece set with a birthstone is impressed with the idea of possessing something more intimately associated with their personality then any other gem. It is believed there is a mystical and spiritual bond between the person born in that month and their birthstone.
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