Amethyst is one of the world’s most prized quartz varieties and February’s birthstone, having delighted civilizations for millennia. This beautiful purple gem has long mesmerized civilisations around the globe.

Amethyst features a vitreous luster and transparent to translucent qualities, as well as ranking at seven on Mohs’ scale of mineral hardness.

Most amethyst facets are clear to the naked eye, although certain pieces may show visible color zones that can be sold as cabochons or beads.

1. Color

Amethyst is revered for its stunning purple hue, beauty, spirituality, and healing powers. Historically it’s been thought to aid clarity, restful sleep, intuition development and more profound connections. Furthermore, ancient cultures held this gemstone in high regard due to its purifying power and protective properties.

The ideal amethyst should feature rich, deep colors with consistent tonality that neither leans too dark nor light. Look for stones with natural features such as subtle variations and variations in tone that reveal their formation process; this is a characteristic of real amethyst which typically holds greater value than synthetic or dyed forms; be wary of pieces that appear too uniform or overly bright; they could be fakes.

2. Transparency

Amethyst is a translucent-to-transparent variety of quartz that ranges in color from pale lilac and lavender to rich purple, making it the February birthstone and considered a precious stone of spiritual protection and inner stillness. Civilizations throughout history have valued amethyst as an elegant crystal for helping reduce stress, promote clarity of thought, enhance deep sleep and heighten spiritual awareness.

Crystal Quartz boasts an exquisite vitreous luster and ranks seven on Mohs scale of mineral hardness – this means it can withstand being hit without cracking or chipping. Quartz can also be cut into various standard shapes such as rounds, ovals, pears and marquises as well as being available with distinct facet arrangements like step cuts and triangular kite-shaped patterns known as emerald cuts for even further customization options.

Amethyst can often display color zonation, as evidenced in ametrine where citrine intermixes with amethyst zones. Sometimes this zoning can become so strong that when held up to a light source it causes its purple color to gradually fade into lighter grey tones that resemble black hues – this type of amethyst has been found in geodes from Grant Shale of Permian age found near Krider and Odell in Nebraska.

3. Clarity

Amethyst is a stone of clarity that helps you find focus in stressful or anxious situations, providing invaluable relief from anxiety or stress. This powerful protective crystal has long been recognized for its calming, relaxing, sleep-inducing properties; furthermore, its connection to crown chakra is thought to promote spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Amethyst is an amusing stone with powerful therapeutic benefits that encourage deeper connections to intuition, making it the perfect companion on spiritual quests or for those dealing with increased stress and anxiety. Used to promote inner calmness and promote clarity of thought, amethyst can also serve as an ideal meditation stone.

Like other colored gemstones, amethyst is graded according to its clarity. Pieces with eye-visible inclusions often make excellent cabochons; those with less clarity but still beautiful color may be facetted and used as jewelry pieces. Sometimes amethyst may even be heat treated to enhance clarity without altering its beautiful hue.

4. Carat Weight

Amethyst is a popular gem choice for rings and pendants due to its moderate price increases for larger sizes. Amethyst’s soothing energy promotes restful sleep while connecting you to your intuition, helping to clear away daily fog.

Amethyst stands out among gemstones due to its wide range of shapes and sizes, making it ideal for carving figurines and one-off designer pieces. Additionally, some freeform cut crystals may display “feathers,” small inclusions which resemble drill holes. Sometimes these feathers may even be removed using heat treatment to improve clarity.

Amethyst is a quartz mineral with colors ranging from light to deep purple, making it the traditional birthstone for February. Amethyst was once prized by ancient civilizations as it symbolized spirituality, faith and wisdom – even believed by some to prevent drunkenness! Today this powerful crystal soothes anxiety while providing peace of mind while strengthening inner strength.