This round, faceted amethyst is deep purple with secondary hues of red, is 1.7 carats and measures 8.1 mm
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz and owes its colour to irradiation, impurities of iron and in some cases other transitional metals.
Amethyst is the birthstone for February.
The name comes from the Greek word, amethystos, meaning "not ntoxicated", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkeness! In the Middle Ages, amethyst was considered a symbol of royalty and used to decorate English regalia. In the Old World, amethyst was considered one of the cardinal gems, in that it was one of the five gemstones considered precious above all others, until large deposits were found in Brazil.