February’s Birthstone – Amethyst
February’s birthstone is a much beloved purple gemstone used in jewelry for centuries- Amethyst.
Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral quartz, one of the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. Many gemstones are varieties of quartz colored by various trace minerals, including honey-colored citrine, ametrine (a bicolor blend of citrine and amethyst), grayish-brown smoky quartz, light green praseolite, rose quartz, and rock crystal quartz.
The ancient Greeks believed the stone would prevent drunkenness. They carved wine goblets from the stone in hopes that it would prevent intoxication as they drank from them. The stone was important to many cultures and societies all over the world, all throughout history: the ancient Egyptians, Tibetan monks, and English royalty in the Middle Ages.
Amethyst is a more common gemstone than others. This does not make it less beautiful, but means larger quantities can be acquired for a lower cost, resulting in truly unique and artistic uses of amethyst in jewelry. From fancy cuts to large sizes for cocktail rings, jewelers and gem-cutters today can get really creative with amethyst.
JAGi Lab is staffed by GIA Graduate Gemologists, who are all highly skilled at identifying and valuing amethyst. We can separate amethyst from stones it is commonly mistaken for, such as scapolite, purple sapphire, tanzanite, and iolite. You’ll want to be sure that you’ve correctly identified the gemstones in your jewelry pieces and know whether they are natural or synthetic, so you can price them appropriately and avoid misleading customers. You could be far undervaluing your jewelry pieces! At JAGi, we know that a vast amount of unrealized wealth is hidden within every pawnbroker’s inventory. Let us help you find it.
View a gallery below of some of the most interesting amethysts we’ve appraised (both loose stones and amethysts set in jewelry pieces) here at JAGi:
Oval-cut amethyst solitaire ring with a diamond wedding jacket. 
This fancy cut amethyst is a beautiful centerpiece for this pendant with diamonds set in the bail. 
This large rectangular cut amethyst paired with garnet side stones and set in rose gold makes for an eye-catching cocktail ring. 
Our gemologists can issue Gemstone ID Card appraisals for loose amethysts, as well as amethysts mounted in jewelry. 
Amethyst is found in abundance in Earth’s crust. High production and availability make it a good stone to cut in large sizes. 
Ametrines are stones that display colors typical of both amethyst and citrine. 
Amethyst is a stone you might see cutters experiment with, producing creative fancy cuts such as this flower cut.
