amethyst

Amethyst claddagh rings.

Amethyst claddagh rings are a beautiful treasure to own. A heart shape amethyst set into a claddagh heart adds a nice touch of luxury to a claddagh ring. When most people think of Amethyst, the first image that comes to mind is rich purple color. I love to accent this deep purple with a diamond set claddagh crown which adds a lovely contrast.

Amethyst is also a great selection for a claddagh heart because it is a hard and durable stone.

Amethyst is from the quartz family. Quartz is often found in transparent nicely formed crystals. It has several varieties including amethyst, citrine and rose quartz.

Quartz is an ancient stone and is among the earliest talismans and mystic significance is virtually synonymous with this rock crystal. quartz has been found in the earliest prehistoric graves.

Amethyst is widely available and therefore is not as expensive as ruby or sapphire. However it is a remarkably pure mineral. Amethyst has a strong crystal structure and so it is hard and free from cleavage, therefore it lends itself to fancy cuts and is an excellent gem to securely set into a claddagh heart. The color purple in Amethyst is due to the presence of iron and aluminum.

Interestingly Amethyst is piezoelectric and can hold opposite electrical charges.

The word quartz comes from the slavic Kwardy meaning " hard ". And in latin " quarzum. Amethyst was a decorative stone used even before 25000 BC in France and has been found on neolithic remains across Europe.

The Egyptians were carving it as beads amulets and seals before 3100 BC. Amethyst was priced by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Amethyst was the ninth stone in the breast plate of the high priest of Israel and one of the ten stones upon which the names of the ten tribes of Israel was engraved.

In medieval times amethyst was set into royal crowns and bishops rings. The British royal scepter contains a large amethyst gemstone.

Around 1727 Brazilian amethyst were sold in the European market and became popular. Queen Charlotte ( 1744-1818) wife of George III of England owned a notable amethyst necklace.

The Greeks believed that amethyst could prevent intoxication and had a calming effect.

Camillus Leonardus, a sixteenth century expert in gemstones put forward that amethyst made people shrewd in business matters.

The most notable sources of amethyst are Brazil and Uruguay.

 

 

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