February’s Birthstone
Amethyst
As hard and brilliant as any ruby or sapphire, amethyst is a precious gem that over the ages has maintained great value and symbolic significance for many cultures. The primary color of amethyst is a deep violet-purple but when it is exposed to heat it takes on a yellow-gold hue and is often then identified as citrine or yellow quartz. The name amethyst is d
erived from the Ancient Greek a meaning “not” and methustos meaning “intoxicated.” Ancient Greek myth relates that Dionysus, the god of wine and sacred intoxication, fell deeply in love with a maiden named Amethystos who rejected his amorous affections. In answer to the young virgin’s prayers the great goddess Artemis transformed Amethystos into a beautiful white crystalline stone. The deeply chastened Dionysus, in honor of his love for Amethystos and her commitment to remain pure, poured wine over the white stone crystal as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple and thus amethyst was gifted to the world.
Amethyst then also pointed then to the belief held by ancient Greeks and Romans that amethyst protected its wearer from drunkenness; an extension to this belief was the fact that they also made beautiful amethyst cups and glassware understanding that drinking alcohol from them would prevent intoxication.
In later ages, amethyst amulets or talismans were worn by medieval European knights to protect them in battle and even earlier, amethyst beads were discovered in Anglo-Saxon graves in England signifying perhaps their importance in burial rites and also to the journeying of souls from Earth to spirit.