What is the February Birthstone?
The February Birthstone is Amethyst.
Amethysts are one of our most historical and revered gemstones - once upon a time they were valued as highly as sapphires and rubies - and are synonymous with the colors purple and violet.
Over the centuries they have been praised as much for their mighty spiritual powers as their stunning good looks and sought after by the rich and powerful members of both clergy and royalty.
February Birthstone - Amethyst Colors
Although Amethyst is usually described as a purple or violet gemstone this hardly does justice to the range of colors from the subtlest pastels to the most vivid tones.
Lavender, lilac, orchid, aubergine, plum, indigo, rose are just a few of the color labels that can be attached to amethyst gemstones.
For thousands of years, the only way to get purple colored dye was from a sea snail and it took 10,000 snails to make 1 gram of powdered pigment but that gram was more expensive than gold! For this reason, purple has always been a luxurious color reserved for only the wealthy.
The February Birthstone Price - How expensive is Amethyst?
Although it was once amongst the most valuable of all gemstones, vast discoveries of Amethyst in Brazil have now made it available at a very reasonable price.
Cut, clarity and carat size all play their part in the cost of Amethyst, but the most important factor will always be the color. Deep vibrant purples with even color saturation leads to the highest prices although many people appreciate the delicate pale lilac tones made famous by the Rose de France amethyst variety.
Amethysts between 1 and 10 carats in weight should cost between $5 and $50 per carat depending on the quality while the impressive large gemstones above 10 carats can reach anything from $10 - $80 per carat.
For more details please refer to our full Amethyst Info page here
What are the spiritual benefits of Amethyst - The February Birthstone?
Amethyst is well known for its soothing and calming qualities that can be a major help in stress relief but it also has many other virtues:
- Improves sleep
- Relieves headaches and migraines
- Detoxifying and Purifying
- Improves decision making
See our detailed article on Amethyst meaning and uses
The February Birthstone - Amethyst and the Chakras
With its purple and violet coloring, Amethyst is strongly connected to the upper Chakras - the Third Eye and Crown.
Sometimes our Chakras get blocked or out of alignment and need to be adjusted - placing an amethyst on the forehead or on top of your head while meditating or doing some breathing exercises can help.
Find more details on Chakra gemstones here
February Birthstone - Amethyst Species
Amethyst is a type of quartz. Quartzes make up a wide variety of different gemstones usually separated by color or crystal structure. Amethyst is basically the purple or violet quartz gemstone. Other quartz gemstones include:
- Citrine - Yellow/Orange Quartz
- Rose Quartz - Pink Quartz
- Smoky Quartz - Brown Quartz
- Tiger's Eye - Opaque Honey Brown Quartz
The February Birthstone - Amethyst Treatments
Generally, Amethysts are not treated to enhance their appearance. Some poor colored amethyst can be heated to produce citrine and we have heard of dark purple amethyst being heat treated to lighten the color but usually heating an amethyst spoils the color.
Amethyst can be heated to specific temperatures to create a green color which is known as prasiolite or sometimes, incorrectly, as green amethyst.
The February Birthstone Amethyst History
Amethyst first gained popularity in ancient Greece where it is the subject of various myths and legends.
A typically angry Greek god, Dionysus, set an ambush of tigers upon a young girl on her way to pray to Artemis, the Goddess of the Moon. Artemis saw the tigers about to attack the girl and turned her into a quartz statue to stop her being bitten and clawed to death.
Dionysus saw what he had done and wept tears of guilt which fell upon the girl. As he was the God of wine and parties, his tears were red wine which turned the statue into a deep purple color. Thus the gemstone was created and named after the girl - Amethystus.
The February Birthstone - Where are Amethysts found?
A mine in Egypt's eastern desert at a place called Wadi el-Hudi was a source of amethysts nearly 4000 years ago while India and Persia were also ancient suppliers to the world.
The Ural Mountains in Russia produced the finest amethysts during the 18th and 19th centuries and were a favorite of Catherine the Great.
These mining areas are mostly depleted and nowadays have been replaced by very large deposits discovered in Brazil, Zambia, the US, India and Uruguay.
The February Birthstone - What jewelry is Amethyst suitable for?
Because of its durability, rated at 7 on Mohs hardness scale, amethysts are an ideal gemstones for any type of daily or occasional wear jewelry item.
Amethysts can be commonly found in matching singles, pairs and lots so coordinated jewelry sets and multi-stone jewelry designs are a great option. This also means side stones, accent stones and pavé stones are readily available in all shapes and sizes.
Amethyst are frequently available in large sizes with excellent clarity and bright colors. This makes them very popular for experimental cuts and shapes where the only limit is the cutter's imagination. This can create amazing eye-catching gemstones for pendants, brooches and cocktail rings.
In addition to being the February birthstone, Amethyst is also the traditional gemstone to celebrate the 6th wedding anniversary.
