The origin of amethyst comes from the Greek myths.  Bacchus, the god of wine, was angered one day by an insult from a mere mortal.  He swore revenge on the next mortal to cross his path and created a fierce tiger to devour the next mortal to come along.  A beautiful young maiden named Amethyst was the next mortal to come along.   Amethyst was on her way to pay tribute to her goddess Diana.  When Diana saw the danger that Amethyst was in, she turned the young maiden into a large pillar of pure crystalline quartz.  Remorseful for what he had caused, Bacchus wept tears of pure wine and turned the quartz a beautiful violet color, creating the gem we know today.

The Greek word 'amethystos' translates to mean 'not drunken.'  The Greeks considered amethyst to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, and wine goblets were often carved from large crystals.  Today, the gemstone still symbolizes sobriety.

Amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages.  The priests and other holy men thought amethyst encouraged celibacy and symbolized piety and it quickly became the stone most favored by the bishops.  In fact, many of today's bishops still wear large amethyst rings as a symbol of their faith.

Because of amethyst's royal purple color, the gem has been in high demand throughout history.  You will find many fine amethyst gems in the crown jewels of Great Britain, and the royal gems were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty.  In Tibet, the gem is considered to be the stone of Buddha and many rosaries are made from the gem.

Most of our gem amethyst crystals come from mines in several African nations as well as Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia.

Amethyst is the birthstone for February.