According to the Greeks the Amethyst was formed when Bacchus, the ancient god of wine, was insulted by a mere mortal. For revenge he vowed to have a tiger eat the next mortal he came across, however, it happened to be a beautiful young lady named Amethyst. She cried out to the goddess Diana to save her and turned into a brilliant white crystal.
When Bacchus saw what he had done he felt really bad, so he poured wine all over her. This didn’t turn her back but rather turned the crystal a violet colour. He didn’t colour her feet or head though and this is why the Amethyst is usually unevenly coloured and tends to have pale ends.
This lovely gem varies in colour from a deep violet (the most sought after) to a pale Lavender (just as stunning), and has been used by the Chinese for about 8000 years. It is possibly the most popular semi-precious gem not only for jewellery, but also for healing purposes. It provides peace of mind and understanding when a loved one is lost, and relieves stress, grief and depression.
The Amethyst derives its name from the Greek word “Amethustos” which means “not drunken”. Apparently wearing this stone or drinking from an Amethyst cup prevents you from getting drunk (I haven’t tried that one yet, but I get drunk just staring into any beautiful Gem).
It is the stone of Bishops, so all bishops of the Catholic church wear an amethyst ring to symbolise their moral victory over all worldly indulgence. Sacred to Buddha as well, prayer beads are often fashioned from Amethyst. It is also symbolic of royalty and features quite prominently in the British Crown Jewels.
Amethyst is the February birthstone.
The Amethyst is also recommended for men when they wish to attract attention from the fairer sex. Promoting pleasant dreams, providing immunity to poison, improving memory, providing security and peace of mind and freeing ones self from those addictive personalities (oneself or others) are just a few of the many uses of our featured gem. Give it a try, or you may never know.
— Zak
