Amethyst (big stone)

Item Description

Amethyst is certainly the most recognizable purple gem in the world. If it wasn't for Amethyst, purple would be a fairly rare hue when it comes to faceted stones. This impressive, large stone is from Brazil and features a fantastic deep "Portuguese Oval" cut with nearly eye-clean clarity and gentle purple hue. The cut on the stone is fairly deep, which is typical for Portuguese cuts, and it allows for a beautiful color to show through. You might call this gem "Rose de France", which is the term often applied to lighter colored Amethyst. For the size, cutting and quality, this is a very impressive stone that would make for a superb pendant, or as an excellent addition to a faceted gem collection. For reference, the name Amethyst from the Greek world "amethystos", meaning "not intoxicated", which refers to an ancient belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. You'll find that wine goblets were carved from Amethyst thousands of years ago for this reason.