Amethyst is the official birthstone for February as adopted by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912. Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and the most valued member of the quartz family. Shades of purple range from deep purple, light lilac, lavender and mauve. Jewelry designers celebrate amethyst as the ideal choice for jewelry because of its regal color, variety of sizes and shapes, affordability and wide tonal range from light to dark purple.
This birthstone is also thought to have healing, empowering, and purifying properties. Amethyst is also thought to aid in sobering, and believed to help a person from becoming inebriated while drinking. In ancient times, necklaces made of amethyst were believed to prevent poison from contaminating the body. The stone was used by healers as a talisman for those who were sick. At one time amethyst were considered to be more valuable than diamonds. Amethyst’s beautiful color has also been linked to royalty because of it’s variations of purple. People have believed that they have become more powerful by donning the purple stone on jewelry. Today, the meaning of this birthstone mainly focuses on purity. It is believed that a person born in February would have a pure heart, and be able to resist temptation by wearing or holding amethyst.
