Amethyst The February Birthstone

The gemstone Amethyst is the birthstone for February. It is also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Pisces. Amethyst is associated with spirituality, wisdom, sobriety, and security. Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral quartz and is a popular gemstone. Although it must always be purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive.

The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek meaning "not drunken," and Amethyst has long been considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness. Wine goblets were often carved from it, and the gemstone still symbolizes sobriety to this day. The legend of the origin of amethyst comes from the Greeks. Dionysus, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal he encountered. After, creating tigers to carry out his wish, unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana appeared. But Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from Dionysus' tigers. At the sight of the beautiful statue, Dionysus is said to have wept tears of wine, staining the quartz purple and creating the gem amethyst. The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst has been used since the dawn of history to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty.

Native American Jewelry, Turquoise & Amethyst Bracelet

source: http://fishingcanada.ws/artists/amethyst/history.htm