Amethyst — blue, bluish-pink or red-purple varieties of quartz. Transparent amethyst refers to semi-precious stones. Opaque - a valuable crafting stone. Highly valued as a collector's mineral.
From the ancient Greek language, the name of the amethyst is translated as "unpretentious" or "non-intoxicating," and the amethyst itself has been considered a stone from time immemorial, guarding its owner fromт alcohol dependence. In ancient Rome, the stone was called "blessed."
According to one of the versions, the name of the stone is associated with the ncient Greek legend about the god of winemaking Bachus. He was angry at people for what those began to forget him and stopped reading. Bachus decided that the person who would meet him first should certainly be given to the beating of the tigers.
But it happened that the nymph Amethyst was the first on the path of the god, and when she saw the ferocious tigers rushing on her, then prayed to the goddess Diana about salvation. Diana squeezed over the nymph and turned.
When Bachus saw what had happened, he repented and in tried to resurrect the nymph. He poured wine on the stone, trying to return life to it, but everything turned out to be useless - the stone only changed color, becoming bright purple. It was this stone and that was called the amethyst.
Amethyst is a symbol of the elements of the Air and patronizes precisely these signs of the Zodiac: Libra, Aquarius and Gemini.
The amethyst is called a stone of harmony and recreation, believing that it is of great importance for those who want to settle conflicts. Amethyst is also credited with the ability to free people from negative thoughts and generate omniscience. This is primarily due to the violet color, which is a symbol of the "third eye."
Lithotherapists (those who treat with stones) claim that one of the most valuable properties of the amethyst is the regulation of metabolism in the body. It is also believed that, in addition to the ability to calm, this mineral facilitates the manifestation of diseases that arose on a nervous basis, relieves migraine attacks.
Amethyst deposits are found at Oberstein in Birkenfeld, in Zillertal, in Siebenbürgen, Chemnitz, near the village of Vatiha and Lipovoy near Murzinki on Amethyst has been known since the 16th century on the Kola Peninsula: in the famous Cape Korab deposit (where it forms beautiful crystal brushes along cracks in red-colored sandstones), as well as in a number of quartz deposits (Vuorijärvi, etc.).
This semi-precious stone is very easy to look after, and it usually requires a minimum of attention and the time of its owner. The main thing, as in the case of any other product, is to be careful and careful.
To clean amethyst jewelry at home, place the products in warm water mixed with soft dishware detergent. If the contamination is severe, let the decoration lie a little in water, and then use a soft brush or sponge to clean the stone itself and the area around it.
Try not to prevent contamination of amethyst with persistent fatty substances, cosmetics and especially household chemicals. In the ideal before cleaning and cooking, jewelry needs to be removed. If your rings and earrings are always on you, then should regularly clean them to avoid accumulation of dirt, which can negatively affect gloss and the beauty of the stone, damage its mirror smooth surface.
Interesting facts:
1. Amethyst -is the official stone of the province of Ontario.
2. The amethyst was revered as "the precious stone of the gods."
3. Amethyst rings are traditionally worn by bishops. Some believe that the amethyst brings good luck to the petitioners.
4. The amethyst was the stone of Matthew, one of the twelve apostles
5. Leonardo da Vinci believed that the amethyst has the power to guard against ill intentions and positively influence the thought process, and also contributes to insight in relation to business
Another bonus curious fact: in 2018, the amethyst was actually the stone of the year, since the Panton color laboratory chose ultraviolet in as the shade of that year.