Amethyst is a fairly common purple-to-lilac-colored gemstone, ranging in translucence from the fairly opaque to the more highly valued and higher quality transparent stones. Amethyst is a purple variety of the quartz family, and the stone is generally regarded as the most valuable type of its kind. When left in the sun, amethyst tends to lose its color, which can only be restored by a fairly expensive radiation process.
Heat-treated amethyst may change to other colors, such as yellow (citrine), red, brown, green, or clear, at which point it is no longer properly called amethyst. Amethyst is the state gemstone of South Carolina.
It is also a symbol of sincerity, security, and peace of mind. Its name comes from the Greek word “amethustos” which means “without wine.” According to legend, drinking from an amethyst chalice will prevent intoxication.
Amethyst can be imitated by purple glass, albeit its low price makes imitation relatively infrequent and fairly unattractive. Amethyst is the anniversary stone for the 4th, 6th, and 17th years of marriage.
