Amethyst stone in history and jewelry

In the history of mankind, diamonds and emeralds have not always occupied the first place. In Ancient Greece, for example, stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, jasper, cornelian and amethyst.

Amethyst (SiO2) is a type of quartz, with violet, varying intensity, color, sometimes with a pink or reddish tint. The dye of amethyst is iron. Amethyst is considered the most valuable in the quartz group. It has been known since ancient times. According to ancient legends, amethyst has supernatural powers. It brings good luck, protects against diseases and even sorcery, and also protects against intoxication.

Ancient Greek myths tell about the beautiful nymph Ametis, who fell in love with the god of wine and fun Dionysus. But Ametis rejected his love. Dionysus began to pursue the beautiful nymph. When he overtook her and tried to take possession of the beauty, Ametis began to call for help. The goddess Artemis took pity on the girl and turned her into a beautiful purple crystal, which, in memory of the god of wine and fun, began to protect those to whom she belonged from intoxication.

Have ancient romans there is a legend about the birth of a beautiful stone, in which all the same characters: Bacchus - the god of wine and fun, Ametis and the goddess Diana.

Archaeologists have deciphered the Sumerian inscriptions on clay tablets, which speak of the magical properties of amethyst. It mentions the property of the stone to save a person from drunkenness or intoxication, and also indicates a warning that amethyst can cause love to the one who gives it, because you can fall in love with the giver of the stone at the moment when your heart has already been given to another. Then a sad situation is possible for everyone. But you should not reject the most beautiful of stones, because the choice in your life depends only on you.

In Arab folk medicine, for example, a diamond is considered a stone that heals all physical and mental ailments. But remember that many famous and famous owners of beautiful diamonds were not given the opportunity to be healed of all physical and mental ailments.

But we should not forget that in the Bible in the Book of Exodus it is said about the preparation of priestly garments for Aaron, in one of which set stones are set in four rows. First row: ruby, topaz, emerald; second row: carbuncle, sapphire, diamond; third row: yagont, agate, amethyst; fourth row: chrysolite, onyx, jasper. “These stones must be twelve, according to the number of the children of Israel, according to their names; on each, as on a seal, one name from among the twelve tribes must be engraved. " (Bible. Book of Exodus. Ch.28 - 15)

Therefore, not everything is so simple with precious stones. You cannot reject their secret meaning, but you cannot deify them either. By the way, you have probably already noticed that among the 12 stones mentioned in the Bible, there is also amethyst.

In the 16th century, amethyst in Russia was valued even more than ruby, the reddish tint was called "dumpling" or "amephis". That he drives away drunkenness, they believed in Russia, they even wrote about this in books: "... the power of this stone is as follows: drunkenness drives away dashing thoughts, makes the mind good and helps in all matters ...". This is how the amethyst stone turns out to be. Not only in Russia, but also in Ancient Egypt, they believed in the good power of amethyst, the Egyptians attributed to it the properties to drive away evil fate from a person and bring happiness.

They loved and love amethyst in church decorations, they are decorated with precious bowls, crosses, icons, panagias.

The crown of Irina Godunova, the Russian queen, was decorated with huge violet amethysts alternating with sapphires. Seals and decorations were made from amethyst.

Currently, amethyst is one of the most beloved stones by jewelers.Great brooches, earrings, necklaces, pendants, inserts for rings and bracelets and many other jewelry are made of it. Small amethyst crystals are used for souvenir and craft work.

The color of amethyst can be purple with a bloody tint (Ural, North Carolina) and blue-lilac (Kola Peninsula). Even in the crystals themselves, the color is unevenly distributed.

Amethyst is affected by the sun's rays, which can cause it to fade. When heated to 200? C, amethyst completely discolored. However, upon cooling, the color is restored. When heated to 300 - 500? C, amethyst loses its color. But even in this case, it can be restored by ionizing radiation.

With a sufficiently long exposure to ultraviolet rays, amethyst loses its color, but by processing with X-rays and? - rays can not only restore, but also enhance its color. Therefore, amethyst should be handled with care.

In nature, amethyst is found in the form of elongated crystals ranging in size from 5 to 100 mm. For the manufacture of cabochons, crystals of at least 2 g are used. In the jewelry there are crystals with a color of various intensity and color, gas-liquid inclusions are allowed.

There are many amethyst deposits on the territory of Russia: in the Urals, in Yakutia, the Kola Peninsula, in Eastern Siberia (the Angara-Ilimskoye deposit). Amethyst is also mined abroad: in Brazil, Uruguay, India, USA, Madagascar, Australia, etc.

Modern technological processes have made it possible to create synthetic amethysts, which in their beauty can compete with natural ones.

And today amethyst is considered a stone that can cure many diseases. It is assumed that amethyst helps in the normalization of the nervous system and has a beneficial effect on the mental activity of a person, helps him to concentrate and contributes to the multifaceted development of the personality. Be that as it may, if you buy a product decorated with amethyst, may it bring you health and intelligence, and happiness itself will find you.