Amethyst is the birthstone for Februarywhich is used as amulets, either placed in jewelry or in packages that are carried with them, usually in wallets or purses, depending on the size. The term “amethyst” comes from the Greek “amethystos”, which means “not drunk”.; That is why it was considered as an antidote against drunkenness.
Before we begin to describe the meanings and properties of the February birthstone, we are going to describe some physical properties of this macrocrystalline variety of quartz, with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, violet in color, which varies in intensity. of its color, according to the amount of iron it has. Amethyst is resistant to acids, however, it is sensitive to heat; so that changes its color when subjected to temperatures above 300º C.
On the other hand, This gem is found in rock formations rich in iron oxides, which gives it a violet or purple hue. that characterizes it; present in many countries around the world, with the most important deposits in Zambia, the Urals, Germany, Tunisia, Canada, India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Australia, Uruguay, the United States, Bolivia and Argentina, among others.
It should be noted that this February birthstone is widely used for carvings in jewelry, when they are of good quality, and those of lesser quality are used to make objects for decoration and works of art; Y Depending on the tonality, for example, the light lilac amethyst is called «Rose de France», and the «dark violet» tone is called «Siberian».which even has very beautiful red highlights.
Likewise, the February birthstone, it can be found mixed with citrine; and they are called «ametrino» or «bolivianita», which usually occurs when amethyst is heated, and its color changes, turning yellow, brown-yellow, orange-yellow or dark brown, because it is sensitive to heat. In addition, amethyst has the property of being dichroic, that is, it has the property of presenting different colors, such as reddish violet or bluish, when viewed from different angles.
The use of birthstones as amulets dates back to ancient times, when gems were thought to have extraordinary and magical powers that were associated with the cosmos; that provided the bearers with good luck and health. In this way, the significant value that amethyst as a february birthstone, comes from roman customswhen this gem was related to Neptune, in addition to being considered the stone of the symbol of courtly love, because Saint Valentine, a third-century saint, wore an amethyst ring with the image of Cupid.
On the other hand, this February birthstone, It was used by the ancient Greeks, in order to protect themselves from the effects of drunkenness; and according to Christian tradition, this gem represents the clergy and royalty, and for these reasons, it is said that the bishops and priests of that time wore rings with this stone, to protect themselves from bad vibrations; Likewise, it is used to decorate the wine glasses of the clergy and the nobility, in order to protect them from alcoholic intoxication or drunkenness.
This myth associated with the amethyst is related to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, also known as Bacchus, according to Roman mythology, who, being offended by a mortal, swore to kill the next mortal he encountered, causing a herd of wild tigers to appear along the way; but, unfortunately who appeared was «Amethystos», a very beautiful young maiden, who served Artemis, Goddess of nature, hunting, wild animals, the moon and chastity; who, realizing what had happened, turned her into a crystalline quartz statue to protect her from the claws of wild tigers.
Dionysus, when he saw the quartz statue of the maiden, cried inconsolably tears of wine, staining the crystalline stone, which caused it to acquire a purple color, characteristic of amethyst, hence the February birthstone is associated with wine and drunkenness, attributing to him the power to cure alcoholic intoxication, to maintain lucidity. In medieval Europe it was credited with the power of ingenuity in business and in battle, which is why soldiers wore protective amulets with the February birthstone.
Likewise, since ancient times the fact of owning a jewel with a precious stone was considered as an identifier of the wearer’s personality; granting them a protective power of their lives. Nevertheless, the widespread idea that birthstones have an influence on people’s lives, arose in the year 1912 when, the organization «The Jewelers of America», formulated a list of precious stones associated with each month of the year.