Amethyst and Diamond geometric gold ring

February has begun, and as the chill of the air settles around us, the beautiful winter colors blend perfectly with February’s birthstone. A naturally purple stone, amethyst is truly a symbol of romance and fantasy. 

Amethyst has intriguing lore and countless unique facts that any gemstone lover should know but, for today, let’s take a look at my four favorite amethyst fun facts! 

 

1. Amethyst is historical and powerful

Amethysts are praised for their encouragement of divine intuition, which can help wearers to trust their gut feelings. Countless cultures throughout history including Ancient Greeks, Medieval Europeans, and Christians have noted the symbolic and physical powers that they believe amethyst to have. So, if you’re lucky enough to be born in February, keep an amethyst gemstone on you and you’ll have endless protection across many fields of importance. 

 

2. Amethyst is a variety of quartz

The second most abundant mineral on Earth, Quartz is the mineral behind many of your favorite colored gemstones. Amethyst is a variety of quartz formed in large six sided crystals and gets its color from ferric iron present in the formation process. The gemstone color varies from a bluish tone to a deep raspberry purple. It is frequently believed that amethyst is the most valuable variety of quartz on the market today.

 

3. Amethyst can become Citrine

Much of the citrine in today’s gemstone market was once beautiful purple amethyst stones! When amethyst is heat treated to at least 500 degrees celsius (or 932 degrees fahrenheit), the stone will turn richly orange in color and become what many of us know as a citrine gemstone. Of course, many citrine gemstones on the market are still natural citrine stones, sourced mainly from the Congo and Zambia. 

Occasionally, amethyst is heat treated partway to create a man-made stone called Ametrine - a combination of citrine and amethyst - that features a purple-orange gradient of color!

 

4. Amethyst is the Pisces Zodiac gemstone

In addition to being February’s birthstone, amethyst is the most common gemstone associated with the Pisces Zodiac sign. The natural beauty of the amethyst gemstone reflects the beautiful soul that loving, encouraging Pisces have. Piscean individuals are known to have extremely strong intuition and utilize this to care and look out for their loved ones. Amethysts are praised for their encouragement of divine intuition, which can help Pisces individuals to trust their gut feelings. To discover more about the Pisces Zodiac gemstones, check out our blog linked below!

 

Whether you’re looking to find a gift for a loved one born in February, or want to treat yourself to the birthstone that exemplifies everything beautiful and romantic, our collection of amethyst is the perfect choice! View some of our favorite pieces below or browse our entire amethyst collection on our website at any time.

 

Discover more about Amethyst on our website!

 

Fondly,

Kyra

Kyra Zabel

Day's Jewelers Copywriter