![]() ![]() The light lilac or lavender hue has been marketed as Rose de France. High quality amethyst can be found in Siberia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Uruguay, and the far East. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue. With Amethyst, it is always advisable to select the gem, not the location.Īmethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet color to a deep purple color. The higher grades of Brazilian and Uruguay amethyst can match the Zambian material and we have seen top grade specimens from all three locations. However, the Zambian amethyst is mainly found in smaller sizes, with stones over 10 carats counting as very rare. In fact the Zambian stones have such a saturated color that some material has to be rejected as too dark, a problem that rarely occurs with South American Amethyst. The Zambian Amethyst has acquired the reputation as some of the finest in the world due to its unusually rich color. ![]() ![]() In the 1950's high quality amethyst was found in Zambia Very large deposits were discovered in southern Brazil in the early 19th century, with subsequent discoveries in nearby Uruguay. Historically, fine Amethyst came from the Ural Mountains in Russia and Idar-Oberstein in Germany, though both of these deposits are now exhausted. Fine deep purple Amethyst is still fairly rare, though not especially expensive. For the fact is, despite the large volume of purple quartz mined in South America - hundreds of tons per year - the vast majority of it is commercial grade material with a less saturated color. What happened? The answer is that extensive amethyst deposits were discovered in South America in the early 19th century, and Amethyst was no longer regarded as a rare gem.īut the rich purple hue of Amethyst retains its allure, and gem collectors still seek out particularly fine specimens. The only difference between this list and the more recent concept of precious gems is that Amethyst no longer appears on the modern list. These were the gems most valued for their rarity, and the ones most associated with royalty, religious authority and magical powers. In antiquity, the most valuable gems were known as the cardinal gems. They included Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Amethyst. ![]()
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