Amethyst is February's birthstone.
Birthstones are a concept that covers various precious and semi-precious stones, one to several for each month. These stones symbolize those born in those months. They are typically used in jewelry given as gifts for maternity, christenings, or other special occasions.
Historically, and within Christianity, birthstones have been mentioned as far back as biblical times, where twelve stones symbolized twelve different tribes in Israel. In Hinduism, birthstones have also had historical significance, where various stones, especially ruby and spinel, have held meaning and represented cosmic harmony and prosperity for centuries. In modern times, birthstones have become commonly known as fashion accessories, allegedly because the National Association of Jewelers in the USA, in 1912, set out to standardize an official order and meaning for all months of the year. Since then, various changes have been made to the list, with the most recent change in 2016, where spinel was added for August. Although birthstones are most widespread and known in countries like the USA, I find it an exciting concept to work with. I therefore use this guide as the official order today, with the risk that the list may change as the years go by.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet-purple gemstone with some quite unusual properties that make it interesting. Amethyst is quartz, and you probably know quartz from "quartz watches". They are called this because a quartz crystal is placed in the watch, and this has piezoelectric properties, which allow the watch to keep time with oscillations when affected by electricity.
Up until the 19th century, Russia was the largest extractor of Amethyst in the world, but today Amethyst is found in Brazil, Finland, Africa, and the USA, among other places. Zambia is the country in the world that supplies the most amethysts and of the best quality.
The price of amethyst is not particularly high and increases with how dark and large the stone is.
Super powers
Clarity, courage, and loyalty. If your birthday is in February, it is said that wearing an amethyst symbolizes inner strength and empowerment.
My advice
- Amethyst is 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, which means it can easily be used in jewelry for everyday wear, though over time, wear may be visible on the stone, as it is not as hard as, for example, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds.
- Regardless of beliefs, I recommend choosing Amethyst in your jewelry if you want it to represent you or your loved ones born in February. I think birthstones are a very nice way to give your new piece of jewelry more meaning and significance.
- For example, use Amethyst in a Unique piece of jewelry designed for you or a loved one.
Send me a message if you have any questions about birthstones.
Best regards, Michell