Your Amethyst Ring

An amethyst ring is of the quartz variety and comes in shades of purple.  When looking for an amethyst ring, bracelet, pendant or earrings, you will want to look for a stone with a medium dark, strongly saturated reddish purple hue. It is the birthstone for February and the older popular beliefs offered by this stone are protection from drunkenness, protection against evil spirits and it is supposed to bring good

luck in times of war.  The more modern beliefs for the amethyst would be to help you attain spiritual perfection and to assist you in calming your thoughts for meditation.  It brings peace and helps create new ideas and is the color of royalty.  For centuries, amethyst has been the most prized quartz material. Russia was the major source of amethyst until large deposits were found in Brazil.  Because of this discovery, amethyst has lost most of its value. “Except in extremely fine quality, amethyst’s exalted status slipped to the level of other attractive, affordable transparent gems” according to the Gemological Institute of America.  Because it is very affordable and available, even at its very best quality, amethyst jewelry can be mass produced. 

Today, amethyst gemstones including stunning amethyst rings are considered the most popular colored gems. Amethyst hues range from violetish purple to reddish purple at its best.  Commercial grade amethyst are weak grayish violet.  If they are too dark, it will look black under dim lighting.  Look for color zoning through the top of the stone.  You do not want to find color zoning in your ring.  It has to do with uneven color distribution in your amethyst. Most amethyst rings are eye clean and faceted.  When visible inclusions are noticeable, amethyst are cut into a cabochon shape.  This gemstone is a 7.5 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale and is a good ring for everyday use.