Hello February!
Meet one of my favorite gemstones, that also happens to be my birthstone. Though I wear all other gemstones too, there sure is something extremely magical, enigmatic and regal about the Amethyst.
There are very few gemstones that are Violet and the special Violet of a good quality Amethyst is a thing of great beauty. 
Belonging to the larger group of Quartz gemstones, Amethyst is one of the rarest quartz. Used widely by royal in 18th and 19th centuries, it was in the league of rubies , emeralds and the most expensive gemstones, till large deposits were found in Brazil. Now sources include Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, USA, Canada and a prized variety from the Ural Mountains in Russia.
Origin & History: The Amethyst derives its name from a Greek origin: a-methysko, roughly translating to not-intoxicate and was believed to protect the wearer from drunkenness. 
Geology & Distinct features: A crystalline quartz formed in igneous and sedimentary rocks, Amethyst is found in nature in the form of geodes. Identified by its special purple hue which is attributed to impurities due to presence of Iron. Under a magnifying loupe or a microscope, an Amethyst can be ascertained by the presence of a Zebra pattern, which is an assuring Inclusion for a gemologist.
The other distinct feature is the presence of colour banding, which is bands of various hues and shades of purple in a given stone. It is the gift of a trained eye and a skilled craftsman to carve out the best stones with the best colour and the least contrast in the colour banding.
High quality Amethysts: Though they are widely available semi-precious gemstones, a piece crafted with hand selected, high-quality Amethysts is distinctive and of a higher value than of an average quality. A good Amethyst stone has a perfect hue of Violet, not too dark, not too light, with minimum variation in its colour. A vibrant violet gemstone, cut with perfection and set in a beautiful metal with skilled hands is the one to go for!
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