Whether its crystals are left natural, polished as tumbled stones, or faceted into magnificent jewels, Amethyst is a gem whose beauty transcends its commonality. It is a variety of Quartz found in many locations around the world. It forms as transparent, terminated crystals of all sizes in geodes, clusters, and as long single terminations. Amethyst is also found in vitreous masses and polished into wonderful specimens and personal talismans.
The presence of manganese in clear Quartz produces Amethyst, while additional amounts of iron vary the purple coloration. It ranges in hue from pale red-violet to deep violet and may be transparent or opaque. In addition, it is sometimes layered with white Quartz as Chevron Amethyst, found in combination with Cacoxenite, mixed with Citrine as Ametrine, or in rare cases, “rutilated” with Goethite.