3 Interest Facts About February’s Birthstone- The Amethyst
The February-born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they an amethyst will wear.
The Amethyst
Worn to make the wearer gentle and amiable, the amethyst is also reputed to promote healing, peace, love and spiritual enlightenment.February Birthstone – Properties of the Amethyst
For those who were born in the month of February the Amethyst is the traditional birthstone. The February birthstone poem reflects some of the properties with which the Amethyst is associated – stability, peace, balance, courage, inner strength, sincerity and a calm disposition. The healing properties of the February birthstone are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to the withdrawal symptoms of any sort of addiction, headaches, insomnia, arthritis, pain relief, circulatory system issues and general healing. The Amethyst is also referred to as the the “sobriety stone” as it was once believed to prevent drunkenness and used to treat alcoholism and other types of addictions.
The Amethyst. A bit of History
It is a violet variety of the quartz family and its name comes from the Ancient Greek for ‘not intoxicated’, a reference to the belief that the stone protected its wearer from drunkenness.
The Ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent further intoxication.
Originally, amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for Intaglio engraved gems
– An engraved gem that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally, with images or inscriptions on only one face.
Amethyst Colour
In the 19th Century, the colour of the amethyst was attributed to the presence of the alkaline element manganese. However, since it is capable of being greatly altered by heat, its colour was believed by some to be from an organic source.
Historically, the finest amethyst were found in Russia and were featured in much royal European jewellery. Today, while Brazil is still the primary source of this gemstone, fine material can be found elsewhere, especially in Zambia.
Now, 3 interesting facts would not be three interesting facts without… You guessed it!
Did you know:
Long ago, farmers believed wearing amethyst would protect their crops from hailstones and locusts.
The Hebrew word for amethyst is “ahlamah” which means ‘dream’; thus, the stone was supposed to induce wonderful dreams and visions.
And.. if you dreamed of amethyst you would be free from harm.
Leonardo da Vinci believed amethyst had the power to control evil thoughts, to quicken intelligence, and to make men shrewd in business matters.
So, that’s your lot for now! Make sure to check out next month’s post, where we will delve into the aqueous delights of March’s birthstone, the aquamarine.
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The feature image is one of Helen Swan’s Designer Kilt Pins hosting a beautiful Amethyst.
See more in our Kilt Pin section
The feature image is one of Helen Swan’s Designer Kilt Pins hosting a beautiful Amethyst.
See more in our Kilt Pin section
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Written and researched by Hazel Martin for Helly and Haz of Helen Swan Designer Jewellery