What it is confused with
Purple glass, dyed quartz and synthetic amethyst are the usual substitutes. Natural amethyst tends to show uneven color zones; synthetic hydrothermal amethyst can need a laboratory to identify.
Pale lilac to deep purple
Amethyst crystals
Amethyst is silicon dioxide (SiO₂) — quartz colored by iron and natural irradiation, pale lilac to deep purple, rated 7 on the Mohs scale. Traditionally, it is associated with clear thinking, restraint and calm; the classic stone of sobriety — attributed, not demonstrated.
- Mohs hardness
- 7 scratches window glass
- Crystal system
- Trigonal SiO₂
- Pliny, AD 77
- Book 37.40 as “amethystos”
- Main sources today
- Brazil also Uruguay, Zambia
Pliny, Natural History, tr. Bostock and Riley.
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Properties
Composition
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) — quartz colored by iron and natural irradiation
Hardness (Mohs)
7
Crystal system
Trigonal
Color
Pale lilac to deep purple
Mined in
Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia, Russia, South Korea
Worth knowing
Amethyst fades in sunlight. Heat it and it turns yellow — most commercial citrine is heat-treated amethyst.
History
Named from the Greek amethystos, “not intoxicated” — the stone was believed to ward off drunkenness.
Buying
Buying Amethyst: fakes, value and treatments
What decides the price
Deep purple with red or blue flashes — the "Siberian" grade — is valued most. Heat turns amethyst yellow, which is how most commercial citrine is made.
Where it is used
Large geodes from Brazil and Uruguay, some taller than a person, are sold whole as decorative pieces.
A less familiar fact
Before large Brazilian deposits were found in the nineteenth century, amethyst was priced alongside ruby and emerald.
Practical
Caring for Amethyst
How to clean it
Warm soapy water only. Keep out of direct sunlight, which fades the color permanently.
How to tell it is real
The convincing fakes are synthetic amethyst, chemically identical and detectable only by lab. Glass is easier: look for bubbles and unnaturally even color. Real amethyst usually shows color zoning.
How hard is Amethyst?
Scratches are not amethyst’s problem — light is. Long exposure to direct sun fades the purple permanently, so it is a stone to wear rather than to leave on a sunny windowsill.
Amethyst, at 7, is harder than 28 of the other 42 stones here and softer than 9, with 5 level with it.
Primary source
What Pliny the Elder wrote about Amethyst
“The name which these stones bear, originates, it is said, in the peculiar tint of their brilliancy, which, after closely approaching the colour of wine, passes off into a violet without being fully pronounced…”
“The falsehoods of the magicians would persuade us that these stones are preventive of inebriety, and that it is from this that they have derived their name.”
Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, translated by John Bostock and H. T. Riley (London: H. G. Bohn, 1855–57), book 37, chapter 40 — read the original text.
Amethystos is Greek for “not drunk”. Pliny gives both explanations of the name — a color that comes close to wine without reaching it, and a supposed power against drunkenness — and calls the second a falsehood. Who Pliny was and why we quote him →
Traditional associations
Amethyst is traditionally associated with clear thinking, restraint and calm; the classic stone of sobriety. Chakra in crystal practice: Third Eye, Crown. Element: Air.
Questions about Amethyst
What is Amethyst made of?
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) — quartz colored by iron and natural irradiation, crystallizing in the trigonal system.
Which month is Amethyst the birthstone for?
February.
Where does Amethyst come from?
Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia, Russia, South Korea.
Can Amethyst be worn every day?
Yes. It rates 7 on the Mohs scale, and the main thing to watch is direct sunlight, which fades the purple for good.
Sources
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
Cite this page
AstroHot. “Amethyst Crystals: Meaning, Hardness and Origins.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/crystals/gemstones/amethyst/
For Wikipedia
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