Berry bright, soft lilac, royal purple... and sea green. Amethyst is a semi-precious gemstone existing in a variety of hues and colours. Ancient beliefs held throughout history have given this gem mystical associations relating to healing and detoxifying powers. The most fascinating of all beliefs was held by the ancient greeks, who thought amethyst protected the wearer from drunkeness.
"The ancient greeks believed amethyst protected the wearer from drunkeness"
This painting shows Dionysus, the Greek god of wine in a celebratory scene. The ancient Greeks often decorated drinking vessels with amethyst gemstones in the belief it would stop them from getting drunk (nice try!). It seems amethyst jewellery may make the perfect birthday present after all!
'Amethysts are perfect for cocktail rings.'
Amethyst belongs to the quartz family. They are often found in large crystals formations, which means amethysts are the perfect gemstone for setting into large cocktail rings such as the cocktail ring pictured left. This Amethyst Cocktail Ring features an emerald cut amethyst which has been beautifully cut in 'steps' to allow maximum light, also giving a geometric appearance.
Some types of amethyst can be gently heated to create 'green amethyst', otherwise known as Prasiolite. These Briollette Little Fly Earrings feature two green amethysts suspended from solid gold little fly studs.'Some amethysts are green.'
'Amethysts grow in pyramids, with the deepest purple colour found at the tip of the crystal.'
This explains the variety of hues found in amethyst gemstone jewellery, with stones ranging from very pale to intensely dark purple. When choosing a stone for your own bespoke jewellery it's worth being aware of 'colour zoning'. This refers to the gradient of light-to-dark colour area seen within a gemstone. Amethysts with an overall weak colour, or a those that exhibit a strong colour gradient are considered less valuable.
'Royalty, spiritualism, wisdom, creativity.'
Purple is associated with energy, spiritualism, creativity, royalty, wisdom and mystery. With so much personality contained within a single colour, it is sometimes difficult to imagine this gemstone paired with equality dramatic colours. We say 'be bold!'. Don't be afraid to layer your amethyst jewellery with contrasting colours - it looks fabulous! This Baroque Amethyst & Garnet Trilogy Ring is one of our favourite pieces of bespoke jewellery to date! The central red garnet contrasts beautifully with the two berry bright amethysts.
View our collection of Amethyst Birthstone jewellery online, or visit our independent jewellery shop in London's Soho to see more in-store. If you'd like to create your own piece of bespoke jewellery using amethysts of other gemstones, get in touch here or book an appointment to discuss your ideas. You can view more of our bespoke creations on Pinterest.