The Mystical Spiritual Healing Amethyst
 Amethyst is esteemed as the most mystical of gemstones. It is the birthstone for Pisces, and the fourth and sixth wedding anniversary gem. It is identifiable as being the purplish strain of quartz. The name "Amethyst" comes from the Greek "amethystos" and means "not drunken." The ancient Greeks held that amethyst could fend off the effects of alcohol due to the wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered. They were smart those Greeks…
…The Romans held that Bacchus, the wine god would get drunk and swear to kill the first mortal he saw – and that mortal happened to be Amethyst. Well, legend has it that the Goddess Diana managed to save her by turning her into a beautiful white stone statue. So Bacchus, seeing what he had committed, poured wine over her, creating a lovely purple stone.
Moses described the gemstone as a symbol of the Spirit of God, placed in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews.
The Russian Empress Catherine the Great loved its look and vibration so much that she sent thousands of miners into the Urals to look for it.
Various cultures used it to protect crops against tempests and locusts, bring good fortune in war and in the hunt, drive out evil spirits and inspire the intellect.
A brief study of the works of Pliny will reveal that this gemstone, if worn round the neck on a cord made from dog's hair, gives protection against snakebites. Later, Hieronymus reported that eagles placed an amethyst in their nest in order to protect their young from the selfsame danger.
Gemstone therapists say that the amethyst has a sobering and cleansing effect. It has even been said to quell excessive stomach acid and, according to Hildegard von Bingen, serves to combat insect bites and beautify the skin.
Amethyst can occur as long prismatic crystals which have a six sided pyramid at either end or they can form as druzes – crystalline crusts which only show the pointed terminations.
Amethyst is not the same everywhere. Actually different localities can produce a unique amethyst to the particular region or even to the mine. Some experts can identify the source mine that a particular amethyst came from. The key is the specimen's color, shape of crystal, inclusions, associations and character of formation.
For its properties of healing and spiritual protection, the Amethyst is often incorporated in jewelry.
Browse the AmuletGifts.com Amethyst Jewelry section and unique Gemstone Jewelry collection.
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