Gemstone Spotlight: Amethyst

Amethysts are the deep, ultra-luxurious, purple gemstones that are featured on many of our pieces. Amethyst is a sub-category of quartz and due to its rich coloring is quite popular in jewelry making. Its purple coloring is actually an imperfection in the quartz stone that is caused by irradiation or iron impurities that lace themselves across the crystals. The ideal grade of purple amethyst is referred to as "Deep Siberian" and is found in the best form in Siberia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and the Far East.  

In jewelry-making, amethyst was a popular gemstone with the Ancient Egyptians and was especially utilized as a carving surface. At that time it was also extremely valuable because miners hadn't come across large deposits but in modern times it is quite plentiful and considered a semi-precious stone. We like to use it a lot because the color is so strong, pure, and unique in nature and lends a contrast to our more rustic hardware but still has an organic look to it that makes a cohesive piece.