Amethyst represents the violet-colored variety of quartz. Its color can vary from very light purple to purple. Its name derives from the Greek word “améthustos”, which means “not drunk”, because it was believed that this stone preserved from drunkenness, with reference to the myth of the nymph Amethyst, transformed into stone by the goddess Diana to escape the drunken god Bacchus. The same god Bacchus, then, gave the stone its purplish color and the ability to protect against drunkenness. Its color is due to gamma irradiation and the presence of traces of iron within the crystal lattice. The irradiation causes the iron atoms [Fe (+3)] that replace the silicon [Si] in the lattice to lose an electron and form a color center [FeO4]. When heated to more than 300-400 ° C, amethyst loses its purple color and often turns yellow, orange or brown, so it resembles the citrine variety.
Dimensions
Height (cm): about 3
Depth (cm): about 2.5
Width (cm): 3.5 approx
Weight (g): about 35
Property
Chemical Formula: SiO2
Mohs scale: 7
Relative density: 2.65
Crystalline System: Trigonal
