Amethyst - the Birthstone of February

Amethyst is crystalline quartz in colors ranging from pale lilac to deep reddish purple. With a relatively high hardness of 7, the February birthstone is a fine facetable jewelry gem for all purposes and many of those can be found on SilverAndGold.com or while watching SNG TV. Lower grades of material can be cabbed, carved, and made into a great variety of beads and other ornamental objects. Value for amethysts depends almost entirely on color.

Siberian mines once produced the world’s finest stones. They featured a particularly rich purple color that glowed with red and blue flashes. Today the term “Siberian” no longer refers to origins. Instead, this is now a trade and grade term referring to colors similar to those of the amethysts mined in Siberia. SilverAndGold.com offers a great deal of Siberian Amethyst along with specialized styles from other parts of the world.

Although Siberian reigns atop the value listing, light-colored amethyst has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The lightest, pinkish violet shades are called “Rose de France,” a clever bit of marketing. The artistry of gemstone faceting can shine through these gems if given fancy and unusual cuts. While rare, Amethyst stones can also be carved and a variety of Amethyst stone carvings can be found on SilverAndGold.com.

Since amethyst is readily available in large sizes, its value per carat climbs gradually. Since this stone is plentiful, there is little reason to pay top dollar for pieces with visible inclusions or inferior cutting.

STATISTICAL DATA FOR AMETHYST