What does an amethyst stone look like?

Amethyst is a semi-precious stone, the most expensive variety of quartz. It has high mineralogical properties and different color shades. But the most common color of the gem, as you know, is all shades of purple.

External characteristics of amethyst

Mineral in any form looks great. Not for nothing during the time of emperors, and then royal rulers, amethyst was considered a royal stone, and only individuals of high ranks wore it. They were decorated with crowns, scepters, royal outfits and other royal regalia.

Untreated

The raw gem is very reminiscent of a scepter. It also contains sharp spikes, which creates an aura of malevolence around it. A crystal is formed in the form of an elongated prism with six corners. At the same time, its size can be different - from small specimens to large ones. Most often, of course, the shade of the mineral is purple tones, but other colors are also found in nature - green, pink, white, black. It is worth noting that black crystals contain thorns only on the upper part, as they grow at a very great depth and are considered the rarest occurrence in nature.

Amethyst is not very resistant to temperature changes, therefore, when exposed to it, it can change color up to complete discoloration. However, as it cools, it returns its shade, although not fully. The brilliance of the raw mineral is glassy, ​​metallic - in the sun it begins to shine with all its facets. It also contains various inclusions - cracks, scratches, bubbles of natural origin. A natural crystal is not pure and uniform in color.

Processed

Jewelers are very fond of working with a gem - it is easily processed and can be given absolutely any shape.

The most popular stone cut types are:

• diamond;
• "eight";
• stepped;
• wedges;
• Ceylon;
• cabochon;
• quads;
• baguette;
• tabular and many others.

Thanks to the facets that are applied to the surface of the amethyst, its brilliance and radiance are enhanced.

The processed mineral is lubricated with a special oil or solution to hide ugly defects. However, the brilliance of the gem is not lost.

Color spectrum

Shades of amethyst can be very diverse:

• green - pale green, olive, bright emerald, dark herbal;
• yellow - pale lemon, light yellow, lime;
• violet - from light purple to deep purple, almost black;
• pink - mostly gentle tones;
• black - from dark gray to blue-black;
• white is colorless.

Sometimes in stones of any shade there may be a tint of yellow or green. Such a change can be clearly seen when changing the angle of view or in sunlight.