Color:
By definition, must be a shade of violet or purple.
Clarity: Type
I
Optic Character: DR
Uniaxial positive
Cause
of Color: Color
centers and iron impurities; irradiation
Fluorescence: Inert
Fracture
: Concoidal
Luster
: Vitreous
Cleavage : None
Durability: Good
Characteristics
for Identification:
Color
zoning; twin planes; bulls eye interference figure, 2 and
3 phase inclusions, "fingerprint" inclusions, negtive
crystals.
Localities:
Brazil, Russia, East Africa with hundreds of additional locations.
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Amethyst
is a purple variety of the mineral quartz. It occurs in all intensities of the color purple from
a light pastel to a depth of royal splendor. Until the
beginning of the 20th century it was quite rare and costly.
When vast deposits were found in Brazil, amethyst became
very accessible and affordable. Amethyst has always been
linked to the thinking process, ensuring clarity of vision.
It inspires creativity, courage and valor.
Amethyst has been successfully synthesized in the lab,
so buyers need to be sure their source is qualified to
separate natural from lab grown material.
Amethyst
can be confused with:
Iolite
Scapolite
The Gemology Project: Amethyst
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