What are the Different Colors of Amethyst and their meaning?

With its easily recognizable rich purple tones, Amethyst is at once excellent and serene, enchanting and invigorating. Amethyst color ranges from purple to red, blue, violet, pink, and more. A precious gemstone, Amethyst, can be found worldwide and has had various healing and spiritual properties for centuries.

It is the perfect addition to your jewelry collection among the various sizes and colors of Amethyst beads available in dazzling and unique colors, rich history, and modern jewelry makers.

Let us understand further in this article the meaning of the different colors of Amethyst.

Table of Contents

What is Amethyst?

Purple and purple-hued varieties of quartz are known as Amethyst. Gamma rays that pass through a crystal interact with the iron to produce color.

For various reasons, it is considered one of the most popular and valuable quartz gemstones, no less of its unique color and ease of molding in the gemstone world. Jewelry and other decorative items often display this stunning yet inexpensive material, from raw geodes to eye-catching statement beads.

Amethyst in Culture

The word comes from the Greek word Amethyst, meaning serenity. In Greek mythology, Dionysus used stone powers to protect drinkers from intoxication. As a result, many people who struggle with alcoholism wear Amethyst as mental clarity and support amulet.

On the other hand, those who wore Amethyst were courageous and protected. According to legend, the Egyptian princess Cleopatra wore an amethyst ring.

Amethyst is now one of the most well-known gemstones due to its use as the February birthstone. For spiritual people, the Amethyst crown represents the body’s spiritual center in the shape of a wheel. Many cardinal rings and rosaries contain the purple gem as well.

Where did Amethyst originate?

Before the 19th century, Amethyst was very expensive and only available to the wealthy due to its rarity. Nevertheless, large deposits have been discovered since then, making them accessible and affordable for many.

Several countries produce natural Amethyst, including Bolivia, Brazil, Tanzania, Uruguay, and Zambia, although Amethyst is in Arizona. Read here to know the process to clean your Amethyst crystal.

What are the Six Types of Amethyst Beads?

Amethyst pearls come in many shapes as well as different shades of purple. The colors of amethyst range from light purple to almost black gemstones.

Violet, Amethyst, pink, moss, cape, and prasiolite are the six most popular amethyst varieties.

Unlike other stones, the value of Amethyst depends on its color rather than a carat weight, and the most precious amethyst pearls are deep purple with red.

Some pearls, such as ametrine, are still included in the Amethyst category despite different gems.

Pink amethyst pearls, although still beautiful, are considered less valuable because they contain only a very light and vague lavender or lilac color. Moss amethyst beads appear in dark and light colors and have small veins visible throughout the bead.

Cape Amethysts contain traces of milky white quartz, while citrine (yellow) and Amethyst (purple), one of the rarest gems, are mixed in a single crystal. It happens very rarely in nature. Heat produces a similar effect, however. Prestolite is yellow-green colored quartz with slight hints of purple.

Which color is Rare in an Amethyst?

Amethyst comes in various primary colors ranging from light lavender or mild violet to deep purple. Amethyst can have one or both secondary colors, red and blue.

What makes Amethyst look Purple?

Amethyst is a type of purple quartz (SiO2). Due to iron impurities and, in some cases, other transition metals and other trace elements, its purple radiation results in complex crystal lattice substitutes. The stone’s hardness is comparable to that of quartz, making it ideal for use in jewelry.

Amethyst’s primary colors range from light pink to deep purple. Amethyst has one or two secondary colors of red and blue. Russian, Sri Lankan, Peruvian, Uruguayan, and Far Eastern Amethysts are of high quality. The correct classification is called “ultra Siberian,” with 75-80 percent dominant violet and 15-20 percent blue (depending on the light source) red being the secondary color. ‘Rose de France’ has a distinctive purple shade reminiscent of a lavender/lilac shade. These light colors were once considered undesirable but have recently gained popularity due to intense marketing.

How does Amethyst get its color?

Amethyst color is a substitute for trivalent iron (Fe3 +) for silicon in structure in the presence of trace elements of large ion radius. To some extent, the Amethyst color can occur naturally due to decreased iron concentrations.

But also the displacement of the transition elements. Genuine Amethyst is dichroic in red-violet and blue-violet, but when heated, it turns yellow-orange, yellow-brown, or dark brown and resembles citrine, unlike genuine citrine. , It has no dichroic. Amethyst partially transforms into Amethyst when heated.

The color of Amethyst comes from quartz color centers. Irradiating rocks with ordinary radiation causes them to form.

The purple color of Ghost Town Glass comes from small amounts of manganese in the glass when exposed to ultraviolet light. Manganese was used as a clearing material in glass from 1860 to 1915. It was followed by lead and then by selenium.

Quartz usually contains trace amounts of iron (10 to 100 parts per million iron). Some of this iron is usually in silicon-occupied areas, and some are intermediate (where the atom is not typically present). Iron is usually in the +3 valence.

Gamma radiation (from radioactive decay in the underlying rocks) can move electrons from the iron lattice and deposit electrons in the interstellar carbon. It absorbs those wavelengths of light (357 and 545 nanometers) that produce the +4 iron Amethyst color. It would help get the quartz containing the right amount of iron and enough natural radiation to create the color center.

What is the Color System of Amethyst?

Purple Amethyst beads pair well with other colors and metals, and the standard color wheel can help choose colors that best complement your purple Amethyst.

For example, other colors such as purples, pinks, blues, and reds that appear directly next to purple represent the perfect harmonious color combination, such as pink quartz, lapis lazuli, or even violet. Garnet pearls can complement Amethyst stones.

Combining colors that appear opposite in the color wheel can produce slightly different and unusual jewelry combinations. Purple gems contrast nicely with yellow crystals like citrine pearls, and Amethyst with emerald pearls is another surprising combination.

Alternatively, if you want the purple in your Amethyst to stand out in your piece, pair it with gems like calcite, morganite, or another toned-down neutral.

When it comes to pairing Amethysts with metals, the options are endless. White gold naturally enhances the brilliance of Amethyst, while yellow gold pairing makes an ad combination. Also, brass and copper metals are excellent options for the Amethyst jewelry piece.

Color Of Amethyst and Quality

The best amethyst color is intense reddish-purple or without the color zoning that appears in purple. Dealers prefer dark red to dark purple, which reduces the luster if the stone is too dark. The Amethyst may appear black in dim light if the color is too dark.

Any brown or bronze color in the purple or recognizable color zoning of the Amethyst will significantly reduce its value. Buyers of loose Amethysts see the color zoning through the table-down of the gems against a white background.

Many amethysts exhibit soft, light colors or intense light and dark purple areas. These factors reduce the value of these stones.

Heat treatment lightens a very dark Amethyst color. Amethyst and light-colored quartz of low quality also had a purple tint.

Other factors which determine the quality of Amethyst

Clarity

Most face Amethysts on the market are apparent to the eye, meaning no visible inclusions. African ingredients, especially Zambia, have a highly saturated raspberry color. It contains more inclusions than Brazilian ingredients. However, due to its excellent color, it is considered acceptable in Ek Mukhi stone. Eye cleansers of the same color are more valuable.

Amethysts with visible inclusions but attractive colors are usually cut into cabochons or molded into beads. Pearls and cabochons with pleasing colors and high resolution are in high demand.

Amethyst is rarely treated with crack-filling to improve clarity when cracks reach their surface.

Cut

Amethyst is cut in a variety of standard sizes and cutting styles. These include round, oval, pear, emerald cut, triangle, marquee, cushion, etc. Facial designs include the classic triangular and kite-shaped facial arrangement known as the brilliant cut, the rows of concentric horizontal angles known as the step cut, and the compound cuts that combine the two facial contours.

Amethyst is a very popular gemstone to cut into various free shapes. It can be done by hand or by automatic cutting. These so-called designer cuts are often produced in mass quantities or designed into a kind of piece. Angles with concave shapes are sometimes seen in concave shapes, usually flat angles. Other cuts and engraving are also found, including the carving of animals and other objects.

Carat Weight

Amethyst is available in all sizes to install in various jewelry styles. It is popularly known as the big middle stone as carat price does not increase dramatically with large size. As well as calibrated cuttings, Amethysts are often available in any size and quality.

Conclusion

Amethyst can be an excellent addition to completing any jewelry collection with a range of different colors. Deep purple stones are the perfect statement gemstones, but muted pastels are perfect for everyday wear.

Whatever color you choose, you will love the variety, and glamorous Amethyst stones that look effortless will add to your jewelry-making kit.