Amethyst

Item Description

Zambian Amethyst is some of the most well known and attractive Amethyst on the planet. This gem has an attractive purple color, and is rather saturated for the size. In certain lighting, one can see slight "red" flashes, which is often seen in good quality Zambian material. The stone has a "Round Brilliant" cut with SI clarity. It would certainly make a very attractive piece of jewelry for somebody with a February birthday as Amethyst is the birthstone for that month. You could do a lot worse than this attractive intensely colored stone for the starting bid. The name "Amethyst" comes from the Greek "a-methystos" meaning "not drunken". Wine goblets were often carved from it, and the gemstone still symbolizes sobriety to this day. Traditionally, the color purple has been a symbol for royalty and Amethyst was often used for monarchs and leaders throughout history. It was, considered to be the stone of bishops, who still often wear amethyst rings. In Tibet, amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it. Amethyst would be very expensive, were not for its widespread availability, as it is one of the few purple gems out there.