February Birthstone: Amethyst

Q: What is the birthstone for February?

The modern February birthstone is Amethyst.

Modern birthstone Amethyst

Traditional birthstone Amethyst

Colour Purple

Birth flower Violet and Primrose

Zodiac signs Aquarius, Pisces

Hardness (Mohs) 7

Amethyst was priced alongside ruby and emerald until vast Brazilian deposits were found in the 1800s. The price collapsed; the tradition did not.

February stones in detail

Amethyst

Composition Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) — quartz coloured by iron and natural irradiation

Hardness · Crystal system 7 · Trigonal

Mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia, Russia, South Korea

Amethyst fades in sunlight. Heat it and it turns yellow — most commercial citrine is heat-treated amethyst.

Traditionally associated with clear thinking, restraint and calm; the classic stone of sobriety.

Care. Warm soapy water only. Keep out of direct sunlight, which fades the colour permanently.

Spotting a fake. The convincing fakes are synthetic amethyst, chemically identical and detectable only by lab. Glass is easier: look for bubbles and unnaturally even colour. Real amethyst usually shows colour zoning.

February birth flowers

Violet

Traditionally signifies faithfulness and modesty.

Primrose

Traditionally signifies young love.

If you go by zodiac sign instead

February spans two signs — Aquarius and Pisces — and the zodiac stone list does not match the monthly one. Which applies to you depends on the day, not just the month.

Aquarius stones · Pisces stones

Questions about the February birthstone

What is the birthstone for February?

Amethyst in the modern list.

What colour is the February birthstone?

Purple.

What is the February birth flower?

Violet and Primrose — signifying faithfulness and modesty.

Is it hard enough to wear every day?

Amethyst sits at 7 on the Mohs scale. Fine for daily wear, though it will pick up scratches over years in a ring.

Other months

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