Amethyst:  The purple variety of the quartz family of gemstone, is found in a range of shades from pastel to deep purple.  It is the most valued species of the quartz gemstones.

The most sought after colour is reddish purple that doesn’t show any colour banding – this is where you can see lines in the gem where the crystal has grown, stopped and then continued growing again. In order to see the colour zones easily, dealers will place the stones on a white background, on the table (top) facet as this makes the zoning more pronounced. 

It is important to many stone dealers that the amethyst is not too dark as that will reduce the brightness and therefore the saleability of the gem.  Some very dark almost black amethysts are heat treated to lighten them and equally, some very light stones may be dyed to improve their depth of colour. 

It is extremely rare for amethysts to be ‘fracture filled’ with a glass like filler to improve its clarity as it is often a very clean gemstone, free from easily visible inclusions and fissures. Gems that do exhibit inclusions (other material encased by the crystal during its formation), are often cut as cabochons (flat base and a domed top) or as beads whilst the better quality material is faceted in a huge array of styles from the traditional round, pear shaped, heart, marquise and oval (all variations on the brilliant cut) to step-cut rectangle or octagonal and also mixed cut stones (a brilliant cut top with a step cut base).  In addition, many artisan cutters produce unique cuts including multi-faceted gems of, for example, star or floral shapes.

If a stone shows brown hints to its colour, the value is lowered considerably. However, an exception to this is if the stone is parti-coloured where part is purple amethyst and part is yellow citrine (another quartz variety). When this occurs the gem is called Ametrine. These gems are formed when there is a change in the chemical composition as the crystal forms which creates the different colour within the single crystal.

Until large deposits of Amethyst were found in Brazil in the 19^th century, the gem was priced as high as ruby, however, it commands a lower price today due to the quantity of the gem available.  As amethyst is frequently found in larger sizes there is not such a big jump in price as the gem goes over per carat price points unlike many other gemstones.

You may be familiar with amethyst ‘geodes’ which are hollow rocks with a crystallised lining.  They vary hugely in size from ones you can easily hold in your hand to those which are large enough to stand up in.

The quartz gemstones have a hardness of 7 on Mohs’ scale which makes them suitable for a wide range of jewellery uses. Rings, earrings and pendants are all created in amethyst. It would still be recommended to remove rings if carrying out heavy work as either stone or setting could be damaged.

For amethsyts, cleaning with warm, soapy water with a soft brush is ideal.  It is usually possible to put them in an ultrasonic cleaner but NOT if they have been fracture filled as it may cause the stone to break or the filled substance to be removed from the stone. 

When you are looking to purchase amethysts you need to make sure that the stone is well cut and showing lively flashes as you move the stone around.   A poorly cut stone will not reflect the light well and will be less attractive and usually that would be reflected in the price.

It is good to be able to view a selection of amethysts to see just how much they vary.  Here at Gerry & Co (Jewellers) Ltd, we are always happy to source one for you if we don’t already have one in stock.

We can make an amethyst item to your specifications, however, please be aware that this can be a lengthy process so don’t leave it to the last minute if it is for a special occasion as the gem has to be sourced and often the mount will have to be handmade by our jeweller, a highly skilled craftsman who will work on the item for hours at a time.  We are always pleased to be able to obtain a quote for a bespoke item.