Precious metal: 925 Sterling Silver
Average Weight: 4.68g
Number of Gemstones: 9
Shape: Oval
Total Carat Weight: 3.60cts
Birthstone Month:
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February.
History & Lore:
The name Amethyst is derived from the Greek word amethystos which translates as “not drunken”. This word in turn is believed to originate in the Greek legend of Dionysus, the god of wine and mischief, who was angered by an insult from a mere mortal. As a result of this insult, he swore revenge against the next mortal who crossed his path. The next unfortunate mortal to cross the path of Dionysus was a beautiful young lady named Amethyst who was on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. The goddess Diana saw Amethyst's plight, and seeing that she was in danger, Diana transformed Amethyst into a pure, clear crystalline quartz statue in order to protect her. Upon seeing the beautiful clear quartz statue Dionysis regretted his actions. He wept tears of wine over it in remorse. This wine, in the form of tears from a God, stained the clear quartz purple creating the gemstone we know today as Amethyst. Throughout history Amethyst has been thought to protect against intoxication and to help maintain a sober and serious mind, which is perhaps, along with its purple coloration, why Amethyst has a long association with royalty. Amethyst is in fact featured in jewels worn by Catherine the Great, Egyptian royalty and in the British Crown Jewels.