Amethyst is the purple 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 so that she could escape the drunken god Bacchus. The same god Bacchus then gave the stone its purple color and the ability to protect from drunkenness. Its color is due to gamma irradiation and the presence of traces of iron within the crystal lattice. Irradiation causes the iron atoms [Fe (+3)] that replace the silicon [Si] in the lattice to lose an electron and form a colored center [FeO4]. When heated above 300-400 °C, amethyst loses its purple color and often turns yellow, orange or brown, so it resembles the citrine variety of quartz.
Dimensions
Height (cm): 8.3
Depth (cm): 7
Width (cm): 5
Weight (g): 262
Property
Chemical Formula: SiO2
Mohs scale: 7
Relative Density: 2.65
Crystal System: Trigonal
