These stones can be cut into a variety of shapes using a variety of cutting styles. In fact, amethysts that have beautiful color but eye-visible inclusions are often cut as cabochons or beads. Fortunately, some African amethysts have such remarkable color that the inclusions aren’t as big of a deal. African amethysts tend to have more inclusions than stones from Brazil. Most amethysts on the market are eye-clean, meaning that inclusions can’t be seen with the naked eye. When an amethyst is too light, the value of the stone decreases. Color zoning will dramatically reduce the value of the stone as well. Dealers tend to prefer stones with reddish purple to dark purple coloring, but the amethyst still needs to be bright enough that it doesn’t look black in dim lighting.Īn amethyst’s value decreases if there is any brownish or bronze-colored tinting in the stone. The finest amethysts will have a strong reddish purple to purple coloring with no visible color zoning. Let’s take a look at the characteristics that determine the value of these gemstones in order of importance. Brazil is the largest producer of amethysts, however.Ĥ C’s for Amethyst Like diamonds, the value of amethysts can be determined by the four C’s. Some common locations for amethyst mines include Uruguay, Russia, South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar, Ontario, Bolivia, Mexico, and parts of the United States, including Arizona, North Carolina, Maine, and Georgia. Like previously mentioned, amethysts can be found all over the world. Fluorite can also have a deep purple color, but it is soft, which limits its ability to pass as an amethyst. Iolite can also look similar, but it tends to look bluer than amethysts. The terms Bengal amethyst and Oriental amethyst actually refer to purple sapphires. However, purple sapphire and purple spinel might be easily confused for amethysts, but they are very rare and tend to cost more than amethysts. The only place that ametrine stones are produced in any significant quantities is the Anahí Mine in Bolivia that is located near the eastern border of Brazil.įortunately, the color of amethysts is very rare, which means that it is hard for other stones to be passed off as fakes. These stones can have an ombre appearance, and they can be pale or vividly colored. These stones have been given the name ametrine. In nature, a mixture of purple amethyst and golden citrine can be found. These stones are generally turned into beads. You might also find these stones, called amethyst quartz, with a banded purple and white appearance. When amethyst mixes with milky quartz, which is also called clear quartz, it will be purple on top and either white or clear on the bottom. Since amethysts are quartz, they can be mixed with other types of quartz to produce a unique stone. African amethysts are known for their dark purple appearance. Siberian amethysts are rare, so they tend to be very expensive. However, amethysts found in Russia, which are also called Siberian amethysts, are deeply colored with red and blue tints. Arizona amethysts tend to look very similar to those found in Uruguay. For example, amethyst stones found in Uruguay tend to have a deep purplish-blue color. Some of these regions produce amethysts with a distinct color style. These gems can be found in many different parts of the world. These gemstones are known as the birthstone for the month of February, and they are used as the gem for 6 th and 17 th wedding anniversaries. When heat treated, amethysts can turn into citrine or prasiolite, a green gem. This is how the stone gets its unique color. However, when large amethyst deposits were found in Brazil, the price of these gemstones dropped significantly.Īs a variety of quartz, the thing that sets the amethyst apart from other varieties of quartz is the presence of iron or natural radiation exposure. The name amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethystos,” which means “not drunk.” Until the 19 th century, the amethyst was as expensive as the ruby or emerald. So, we have created a guide on these beautiful gemstones.Īmethysts are the most valuable variety of quartz available. Since these stones are so popular, at Noe’s Jewelry, we get a lot of questions about them. The brilliant purple color of the amethyst has made it one of the most popular gemstones in the world.
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