February’s Birthstone: Amethyst!

February’s Birthstone: Amethyst!

February’s birthstone is amethyst, with its recognizable range of violet tones and associations with royalty. But that's not all.

Amethyst’s history — spurned suitor, sobriety, religion and royalty 

Amethyst lore?

In some versions of Greek mythology, Bacchus, god of wine, was spurned by the nymph, Amethystos. Bacchus persisted in the chase, the nymph prayed for help, and Artemis (goddess of young women and virginity) came to the rescue! Taking pity on Amethystos, she turned her into a white stone.

So the story goes, Bacchus regretted his behavior and poured wine on the stone, staining it purple as a sort of redemption. And amethyst was born!

That is just one of the tales that may or may not have any basis in verifiable mythology.  What is verifiable – the etymology of amethyst, meaning not drunk. Let's hear it for the ancient Greeks and Romans who believed that amethyst could prevent intoxication!

Throughout the middle ages, amethyst was found in rings worn by clergy as well as in jewels designed for royalty. Given its vibrant color, is it any wonder?  

While amethyst is widely available these days, it hasn’t always been the case. It was once considered a precious stone along with ruby, sapphire, and emerald. Consequently, its value was derived not only from its beauty but from its rarity. 


Amethyst’s allure

Color (of course!) is what draws us to this stunning stone with its rich hues ranging from deep purples to lively mid-range violet tones to delicate lavender with pink undertones.

A member of the quartz family, amethyst is a favorite to work with not only for its color but its durability, and for its ability to be cut and faceted in many ways (not the case for every gemstone).

Symbolism? Energy?

Given its history, amethyst continues to be a symbol associated with royalty and wealth. It is also thought to have healing energy, promoting calmness, which may be enhanced by combining it with other “calming“ gemstones like rose quartz.

Some believe there may also be benefits to pairing it with stones of more vibrant energy such as labradorite and garnet. In fact, I love mixing amethyst with other stones of equally saturated and vivid color, including labradorite, hessonite garnet, red garnet, and occasionally citrine, which is itself a sort of sibling to amethyst. 

(Citrine is essentially amethyst, which has been heated to a specific temperature, resulting in a hue that may range from pale yellow to a golden orange.)

Some of us are especially fond of the amethyst-labradorite combination, for both its beauty and its compatible spiritual elements. Several of my favorite designs enjoy that pairing.  

One of the pleasures of designing with (and wearing!) amethyst is that it is at home with every hue of precious metal, as in examples of amethyst with silver and amethyst with gold, shown throughout this post.

Fun facts about amethyst 

  • Amethyst crystals grow inside geodes, which appear as otherwise nondescript rocks until cracked open to reveal their colorful splendor. 
  • While amethyst can be found across the globe, some of the most extraordinary examples have been found in South America.
  • One of the most famous amethysts is the "Empress of Uruguay" standing at over 3 meters (9+ feet) high and weighing in at 2.5 tons! 
  • When heated to specific temperatures (and under other conditions), amethyst turns yellow (citrine) or green (prasiolite).
  • Ametrine is a rare, naturally occurring gemstone that combines both amethyst and citrine. It is primarily mined in Bolivia.
  • In addition to its remarkable color, amethyst is a favorite in jewelry design given its excellent durability (7 on the Mohs Scale), which means it stands up well to daily wear.

By the way...

And by the way… one of my favorite mid-century artists was born in February – abstract expressionist painter, Joan Mitchell. One of her vibrant, large-scale abstract works, her triptych, "Clearing" (1973), inspired my use of blues and violets mixed with black, cream and white. 

I interpret these colors in amethyst, tanzanite, black spinel and pearls in a variety of designs, and I choose shapes and textures reflecting her use of organic circular and rectangular forms.  

The earrings below (close-up) are coming soon in the Color Field Collection and make use of this striking color combination.  

 

Jewelry shown above:

 

 

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