February Birthstone Guide - Amethyst
AMETHYST view amethyst jewellery
Myths, luck and health - amethyst is the birthstone for February
Amethyst and Dionysius
According to Greek legend the god Dionysius, angered by an insult from a mortal,
swore that he would gain revenge on the next mortal that passed him by.
To do this he summoned two tigers. The maid Amethyst was the first to come
along and was set upon by the tigers. The goddess, Diana, seeing this,
turned Amethyst into crystallised stone to protect her from the tiger's claws.
Dionysius, distraught at what he had done, wept tears of red wine,
staining Amethyst purple, creating the stone that we revere to this day
- a beautiful centrepiece for jewellery.
Spiritual stone
The Tibetans consider amethyst to be sacred to the Buddha,
whereas in Greece amethystos is believed to cure
drunkenness and symbolises sobriety. Amethyst also
symbolises celibacy, is worn by Bishops and can
be seen adorning medieval churches.
The colour purple
Amethyst ranges from light to deep purple.
Amethyst is perfect for all forms of jewellery
- rings, necklaces and earrings.
Birthstones have characteristics or enhancement properties associated with them.
Here are some of these properties for amethyst:
- Birthstone characteristics: health, luck, wit, stability, peace, balance, courage, inner-strength, calmness
- Enhancements: considered the sobriety stone, amethyst is believed to prevent drunkenness