Amethyst is the most precious and valuable gemstone of the quartz family and can be found in Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka, the USA, Uraguay and Zambia! Phew!
As purple is considered to be the colour of royalty, beautiful Amethysts can be found in the Crown Jewels and was a favourite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. It was also referred to as the "stone of bishops".
It's name is thought to come from the Greek word "Amethystos" meaning "not drunken" and was worn to protect against drunkeness! Some wine goblets were carved from Amethyst to protect against getting tipsy! I can't confirm this fact and therefore cannot be held responsible!! Even to this day, Amethyst is a symbol of sobriety.
There is a Greek myth that tells of Dionysius who was the God of intoxication! One day, an insult from a human angered him and so swore to take revenge on the next mortal he came across by sending tigers to devour them! A beautiful maiden, named Amethyst, was on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana was that next mortal. As the tigers sent by Dionysius approached, Amethyst cried out to Diana to protect her. Diana turned her into pure white crystalline quartz to protect her from the tigers teeth and claws. Dionysius wept tears of wine in remorse at the sight of the beautiful statue, staining the quartz purple.
