AMETHYST

JEWELLERY
 

REGAL AMETHYSTS,
FIT FOR A QUEEN!

Some historians suggest that at one time, the Amethyst was considered the most valuable of all the cardinal gems. People have long prized Amethysts for thousands of years, for their colour and considerable beauty. The Ancient Egyptians carved these durable gemstones into the shapes of animals, perhaps as protective amulets. To the Ancient Greeks Amethysts were as precious as Diamonds, Rubies and Sapphires. In the Middle Ages, they adorned the rings of religious leaders and the sceptres of Kings. The colour purple signified power and royalty, as it was an extremely difficult colour to create in clothing. By the 1800s, discoveries of large Amethyst mines in Brazil provided an opulent supply of Amethysts, allowing this royal gemstone to become affordable.

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The name Amethyst is derived from the Greek word amethystos which translates as ‘not drunken’. This word is believed to originate from the Greek legend of Dionysus, the God of wine and mischief. The Ancient Greeks believed that the God, Dionysus, was the very first being to ever stumble upon the magnificent purple gemstone.

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In the legend, Dionysus was angered by an insult delivered by a mere mortal. As a result of this insult, he swore revenge against the next mortal who crossed his path. The unfortunate mortal to subsequently pass Dionysus was a beautiful young lady named Amethyst, who was on her way to pay tribute to the Goddess Diana. The Goddess saw Amethyst’s plight, and realising that she was in danger, Diana transformed Amethyst into a clear quartz statue to protect her. Upon seeing the stunning clear Quartz statue, Dionysus regretted his actions and wept tears of wine over it in remorse. This wine, in the form of tears from a God, stained the clear Quartz purple creating the gemstone we know today as Amethyst.

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