Amethyst: Violet Power
According to Greek mythology, the god of wine, Dionysus, was attracted to a mere mortal named, Amethystos. He pursued her but she did not want his affections. When Amethystos prayed to the gods for chastity, her prayers were heard by Artemis, the goddess of hunting and protector of the girl child and maidens. She then granted the prayers of Amethystos and transformed her into a white stone. When Dionysus knew about this, he was ashamed of his actions because Amethystos preferred to remain chaste. As an offering, he poured wine over Amethystos, who was now a white stone. Because of the wine, the white stone turned purple. This stone is called the amethyst.
There are many beliefs attributed to the amethyst gemstone all throughout the centuries. The Ancient Egyptians wore amethyst jewelry to protect themselves against feelings of fear and guilt. This gemstone was believed to prevent drunkenness by the ancient Greeks and Romans. They wore the gemstone as jewelry and made drinking containers with it because of that belief. And also the European soldiers during the medieval time used amethyst as amulets because of the belief that it can give them protection during battles. Healers use amethyst necklace to focus power while 
healing. Furthermore, it is believed that this gemstone can heal problems with the blood and with breathing, and also helps relieve headaches.
Scientifically, Amethyst is a violet type of quartz. It is very resilient, with a classification of seven in the Mohs scale of hardness, making it very suitable to be used in a necklace or other forms of jewelry. This gemstone has a color range of light pinkish violet to deep purple. With the difference in its depth of color, the amethyst that has the highest grade is called “Deep Russian” and the amethyst with the ideal grade is called the “Deep Siberian.”
` Amethyst is found most abundantly in different parts of Brazil, namely, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso, Espirito Santo, Bahia, and Ceará. This gemstone is also being produced in Uruguay, South Korea, Russia, Zambia and United States.
A beautiful amethyst necklace would be wonderful to be given as a gift on the 17th wedding anniversary for it is the gemstone of that occasion and it is also believed to bring more love to the home. In addition to that, it is also perfect to give on bir
thdays for it is the birthstone of the people born in the month of February and those with the zodiac sign of Pisces.
In fashion, an amethyst necklace, through its colors, reflects royalty, luxury, and sophistication. It has the color of power together with the feminine appeal which makes it very alluring. Adding an amethyst necklace to a look would certainly push the look up a notch, leaning more to the side of elegance.
Without a doubt, an amethyst necklace is a very necessary jewelry to have not only in the name of beauty and fashion but also for its believed benefits and wonderful history.
