Freestanding Amethyst Crystal
A stunning polished amethyst crystal from Brazil. When held up towards the light distinctive yellow colouration can be seen towards the centre of the crystal. It's difficult to say for certain what mineral this is but it's likely to be citrine.
Citrine and amethyst are both varieties of quartz that rarely occur together within the same crystal. Stones that feature both minerals are known as ametrine.
The vast majority of ametrine comes from one single mine in Bolivia. Smaller quantities have also been found in India and Brazil. Slight changes in temperature during the mineral's formation are responsible for the change in colour.
Exposure to heat causes impurities of iron to either turn purple or yellow. Natural citrine is much rarer than amethyst.
Amethyst is the birthstone for February whilst citrine the birthstone for November.
With amethyst crystals being translucent there's a tendency to want to place them close to a sunny window. Whilst light will certainly enhance the beauty of the stone it will also cause the colour to fade.
It's worth bearing in mind the tip of this amethyst crystal is particularly fragile.
