Stone of the Month- February
The second month of the year already?!? This damn pandemic sure has a curious way of making the time both crawl and fly at the same time. Whether you feel time slipping away in the blink of an eye or that every hour is creeping at a snail's pace depends on your own perception. One thing I think we can all agree on is that 2022 has kicked off with stress and anxiety at an all-time high for many people, myself included! But why am I talking about stress and anxiety in a blog about the birthstone for February? Well, as it happens, those born in February have a stress-busting, calm-inducing powerhouse as a birthstone, presented to you in the pretty purple package that is amethyst.
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is arguably one of the most recognizable crystals for experienced crystal lovers and crystal newbies alike. In fact, in my 20 odd years in the jewellery and gem industry, 9 times out of 10, any time a customer sees a purple stone, they will assume it to be amethyst. Amethyst is a commonly found crystal in almost every crystal shop and jewellery store worldwide because it is loved and coveted by so many people. A great deal of the material on the market will have been sourced from either Brazil or Uruguay, with the Uruguayan specimens having a much deeper, more saturated colour than their Brazilian counterparts.
Amethyst is commonly found in both large masses of rock and beautiful, glittering clusters. It can also be seen as tiny druzy crystals, especially common in spirit quartz specimens. Due to its versatile formations, you can find amethyst in almost every type of crystal you could ever want, from generators, spheres, tumbled stones, palm stones, carvings, clusters, caves, and more.
Metaphysically and historically, amethyst has a rich history and a slew of metaphysical properties that really pack a punch. Amethyst originates from a Greek word translated to mean "not intoxicated." It was used as a talisman for the ancient Romans and ancient Greeks to prevent intoxication or overindulgence. Amethyst was also used to avoid intoxication in catholic history but of a different nature. The catholic bishops believed amethyst to be strongly protective of the spirit. The practice of kissing the bishop's ring came about from the belief that anyone who did would also have their spirit protected.
Amethyst has been known as a powerful healing stone throughout history. Metaphysically, amethyst is known as the " All Healer." Amethyst is a powerful protective stone that transmutes negative energy and guards against psychic attacks. It is said to block stress and promote a calm and tranquil environment. Some believe placing a piece under your pillow will promote a restful sleep free from nightmares. The calming properties of amethyst make it an excellent stone for meditation as it helps the mind to be quiet and find stillness.
Amethyst is sometimes found to have formed with another variety of quartz. When amethyst and citrine grow together, we get ametrine. Natural specimens of ametrine usually have a gentle blend of purple and yellow colours. Still, there is a lot of heat-treated material on the market. Suppose the specimen has a very sharp, straight line separating purple from yellow, and both colours are highly saturated. In that case, it is a fair bet that this is a piece of quartz that has been treated to have the appearance of ametrine instead of a genuine natural specimen.
Chevron amethyst is easily found in most crystal shops and is sometimes called dream amethyst. It is a variety of amethyst with clear quartz growths that form a v-shaped or chevron pattern. When we find amethyst blended with another quartz variety, the stone takes on both stones' metaphysical properties, creating a powerful quartz super stone.
Whichever way you prefer your amethyst, it is fair to say that no collection is complete without a piece, if not multiple pieces. February babies are fortunate to have such a powerful stone as their birthstone. Still, luckily for the rest of us, amethyst is here to protect and heal anybody who needs its anxiety-busting energy in their lives, which might just be all of us right about now, am I right?