When considering a purple gemstone the first one that comes to mind is amethyst. Though other gemstones have purple varieties, such as sapphires and tanzanite, none quite have the deep purple hue that amethyst can have. A variety of the quartz species, amethyst was as rare and expensive as ruby and emerald up until the 19th Century when Brazil’s large deposits were discovered. Amethyst can also be found in Bolivia, Africa, and the United States.

The word amethyst derives from the Greek amethystos which means “not drunk” or “a remedy against drunkenness”, because the Greeks believed that amethyst could guard against drunkenness. This was achieved by holding an amethyst in the mouth while drinking. This might actually work if you stop drinking once you accidently swallow the stone!

There is an old well-known legend related to the origin of amethyst. It involves Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. The legend goes that a lovely maiden, Amethyste, was on her way to worship at the temple of Diana. She crossed paths with Bacchus, who was drunken and angered by a mortal who had mocked him, and who vowed to kill the next person he came across. Unfortunately for Amethyste, she was this person and Bacchus sicced his tigers on her. Diana intervened, saving the maiden by transforming her into clear crystal. Remorseful, Bacchus poured wine over Amethyste’s head, staining the crystal purple, a reminder to never get drunk and harm another person.

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