It is also the birth stone for the Zodiac sign of Pisces. Amethyst is suggested as a gem to give on the 4th, 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and the most valued member of the quartz family.
It must be purple to be amethyst, but it can display a range of shades including deep purple, light lilac, lavender and mauve. Top quality amethyst is a deep medium purple with rose-colored flashes. Its purple color made it a stone of royalty for many thousands of years. Known as the prize stone since the days of ancient Egypt, Amethyst holds an honored place in the Crown Jewels of England, frequently known as the “Rose de France”, a popular jewelry item during the Victorian age and worn by every Pope since the sixteenth century.
Amethyst is produced in abundance from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil where it occurs in large geodes within volcanic rocks. Many of the hollow agates of southwestern Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of amethyst crystals in the interior. Artigas, Uruguay and neighboring Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul are large world producers exceeding in quantity Minas Gerais, as well as Mato Grosso, Espirito Santo, Bahia, and Ceará states, all amethyst producers of importance in Brazil. It is also found and mined in South Korea. The largest opencast amethyst vein in the world is in Maissau, Lower Austria. Much fine amethyst comes from Russia, especially from near Mursinka in the Ekaterinburg district, where it occurs in drusy cavities in granitic rocks. Many localities in south India yield amethyst.
One of the largest global amethyst producers is Zambia in southern Africa with an annual production of about 1000 tonnes. Amethyst occurs at many localities in the United States. Among these may be mentioned: the Mazatzal Mountain region in Gila and Maricopa Counties, Arizona; Red Feather Lakes, near Ft Collins, Colorado; Amethyst Mountain, Texas; Yellowstone National Park; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Haywood County, North Carolina; Deer Hill and Stow, Maine and in the Lake Superior region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario in Canada. Amethyst is relatively common in Ontario, and in various locations throughout Nova Scotia. The largest amethyst mine in North America is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Feng Shui: Amethyst is used primarily anywhere to help bring change. Used in the Southeast direction, in the Center for balance and spirituality and in the Northeast for wisdom.
Amethyst Healing Properties. Amethyst is the stone of spirituality and dream recall. Used for contentment and meditation. Provides common sense and flexibility in decisions. Strengthens and enhances psychic abilities, imagery and mind quieting. Wear when sleeping or when awake to reduce anger, impatience, and nightmares. Most effective on the Brow and Crown Chakra. Amethyst contains the grounding color of red with the energy of blue, which is expanding, spacious and flow of peace. Amethyst is the color that you see in the sky as twilight transitions into night. Amethyst takes you on this transition from the magic time of dusk to a conscious shift into a different place. Crossing this threshold is the lesson of humility, which Amethyst can teach us. This stone can show us how to let go and trust; surrender so that you may see beyond the cycle that consumes your attention; give it all up, so that you can receive more; and bow, that you may become a part of the greater whole. Amethyst is considered a Master Healing stone.
Folk Remedies: This crystal is the most recommended stone for stress relief. Amethyst has a direct link to the mind. It bolsters the production of the hormones, and strengthens the cleansing organs, the circulatory system and blood, the immune system, and body metabolism. Headaches, eyes, scalp/hair, pituitary, pineal and blood sugar balance. Famous ancient detoxifying stone. Especially helps in sobriety, as well as alcohol, food, sex and other addictions. It soothes the nervous system and assists in the transmission of neural signals. Helps you feel less scattered and more in control of your faculties. Memory skills and motivation improve. Goals are clearer, more realistic, and easier to achieve. However, you must use this stone cautiously with subjects who have paranoid or schizoid tendencies. Can benefit people with insomnia or troubled sleep. Ideal for those who meditate. Promotes selflessness. Useful in dispelling rage, anger, fear, and anxiety, and is a good stone for clarifying and remembering dreams. Helps relieve physical and emotional pain. Strongly recommended that when using Amethyst in conjunction with other stones or crystals.
Teresa Habczyk
Source;
www.bernardine.com/gemstones
www.crystalsrocksandgems.com
www.wikipedia.org