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Amethyst is a variety of quartz of magmatic and hydrothermal origin. Its violet color is due to the iron oxide content and to having been subjected to high temperatures in its formation. The intensity of the color is usually concentrated in the tips of the crystals and sometimes it can also present bands of milky quartz.
Amethyst crystals are pyramidal and have a glassy luster. Amethyst is usually found crystallized inside closed ovoid cavities, called geodes, or also lining open surfaces or cavities, called druses. It can also be found as a single crystal.
It belongs to the silicate-tectosilicate group, and its hardness is 7 on the Mohs scale. Most amethyst deposits are found in Brazil and Uruguay, where it is approximately 160 million years old.
The name amethyst derives from the Greek amethustos, which means "not to be drunk", since in ancient Greece it was believed that this stone protected against drunkenness. Amethyst is one of the first gems used in ancient times as an ornamental stone and a symbol of wealth and power. It has also been traditionally associated with purity and spirituality, as shown in some ancient ornaments, jewelry and utensils from India, Tibet or the early Christian Church.
