"The February born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they, the amethyst will wear."
Amethyst. is the birthstone. for the month of February and the traditional anniversary gemstone for the sixth of marriage.
Amethyst is also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Pisces (February 20 - March 20).
The violet to purple amethyst is the most important and best known gem variety of quartz and has been used for lapidary works since ancient times. Today most amethyst comes from Brazil and Uruguay. Before these resources were discovered, most amethyst was mined in Sri Lanka, India, Germany (Idar-Oberstein region), and the Ural Mountains (Murinska gem region) in Russia.
In Ancient Greece, amethysts were believed to ward off the effects of drunkenness and were worn as amulets by inexperienced drinkers. This is how the stone got its name - from the Greek "amethusos" meaning "not drunk". Greek myths tell a story of Dionysius, the god of intoxication. It is said that one day an angry Dionysius swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path. Unexpectedly Amethyst, who was a beautiful young maiden, passed Dionysius walking on her way to visit the goddess Diana. It is then said that Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from all evil. The moment Dionysus saw Amethyst's beauty, tears fell from his eyes. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today.
In the antiquity, the Egyptians strongly believed that amethyst could prevent the owner from being poisoned. The high ranking officials wore them a lot because of the rivalry that existed for their position.
In medieval times February's birthstone. became the symbol for Christian love and devotement. Churchmen wore amethyst rings. and jewelry because they believed they helped them have divine revelations and wisdom.
Amethyst is said to bring serenity and calm, to enhance one's ability to assimilate new ideas, and to assist during meditation. It is also said to give strength and mental stability, and to provide balance between one's physical, emotional, intellectual states. Amethyst is also said to make one shrewd in business matters. Amethyst is said to help remove toxins from the body and to help treat arthritis. It also said to be useful in treating a number of disorders including those of the digestive system, heart, nervous system, skin and hearing and to help provide relief from pain and to strengthen the immune system. In medieval times, Amethyst was still credited with protecting one from the effects of drunkenness, both of the cup and also from the intoxicating effects of being in love. The wearing of amethyst was also known to protect soldiers from harm and give them victory over their enemies, and assist hunters with the capture of wild animals. Amethyst embedded jewelry imparts sobriety and help the person break through the addictive nature. It stops you from giving in extravagance and overindulgence.
It is normally safe to clean amethyst in an ultrasonic cleaning tank, but inclusions and certain aspects of crystal structure may endanger a stone cleaned in this manner. Steam cleaning should never used. Amethyst tends to fade when exposed to ultraviolet lighting for extended periods of time.
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