The name 'amethyst' refers specifically to the purple variety of the mineral quartz.
Other varieties of quartz with a similar appearance in different colours, such as pink, green, and black, are not amethyst.
The purple colour of this highly sought-after crystal comes from impurities of iron and natural radiation.
The belief that amethyst can counter the effects of alcohol arose because its colour was once likened to wine.
Having been named 'amethystos', from the Greek for 'not' and 'intoxicate', a myth was born.
The colour of amethyst will fade over time if exposed to UV light.
Some of the finest amethyst crystals and geodes come from South America.
AMAZONITE
