Amethyst history, description, deposits. Deposits and methods of mining amethyst Amethyst crystal lattice

Amethyst has been known since ancient times. Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle, in his work “On Stones,” written in the 4th century. BC BC, mentions rock crystal and amethyst and writes that these substances, together with sardion (sardonyx-brown-red chalcedony), were found on sections of some rocks. Perhaps this description refers to the discovery of amethyst-quartz crystals with amethyst tips, occurring in the central cavities of chalcedony geodes. Amethyst was used to make engraved seals in the Hellenistic era and in the early centuries of the Roman state, but red and brownish-red varieties of chalcedony were more often used for these purposes. The name comes from the Greek word translated meaning non-alcoholic, and, according to Pliny, in those days it was believed that the owner of amethyst was protected from intoxication by wine or from the harmful effects of substances that were almost the same in color as red wines. The ancient name amethyst applied not only to true amethysts, now also called Western amethysts, but also to purple or violet corundums, or eastern amethysts, as well as purple garnets. Amethyst is one of the twelve precious stones mentioned in the Bible that were used as decoration on linen robes by the high priest in the service of Jehovah; Each stone was engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Among these stones were varieties of quartz - agate, sardonyx and jasper. In ancient times, amethyst and other colored stones were cut into round shapes and then polished or used to make engraved seals and other carvings, but special cutting of gemstones to enhance color play and brilliance was only developed centuries ago. Amethyst is mostly cut using a step (emerald) cut; stones with good and uniform coloration weighing more than 20 carats are rare. Amethysts, once highly prized at the beginning of the 19th century. have become significantly cheaper due to the export of large quantities of this mineral from Uruguay and Brazil. Pliny and other authors before the time of Agricola argued that amethysts best quality came from India.

The Swiss naturalist J. J. Scheuchzer (1672-1733) established in 1708 that Amethyst is a variety of common quartz; this issue was later studied in detail by Romeu de Lisle and R. J. Gaüy. Van Cobelle attributes the priority of this discovery to Schutzer, but Agricola, in his work “De natura fossilium,” published in 1546, wrote that amethyst forms large crystals with a hexagonal cross-section and a head similar to quartz. Only in 1817 did James Sowerby in his work “British Mineralogy, or Colored Figures Intended to Elucidate the Mineralogy of Great Britain” write: “Few guessed that amethyst, For a long time well known as a precious stone, is quartz, or rock crystal, colored with manganese oxide." Anomalous dichroism in the basal sections of amethyst suggested that the symmetry of this mineral was lower than that of quartz, possibly monoclinic, but the Lauegram of non-twinned amethyst turned out to be identical to the Lauegram of colorless quartz. It was also suggested, first by Brewster (1819), that it could be considered a variety of quartz, differing from it in its methods of twinning.
The nature of amethyst's coloring has been of great interest for many years. J. F. Henckel wrote in 1725 that the color of amethyst may be due to an admixture of colloidal gold: “Especially from the violet tint of amethyst and the red color of jasper, which makes it look like coral, one might speculate whether it is due to their hue by the metal they contain. I do not know that amethyst does not contain gold, since at present there are no other artificial methods of obtaining such a color in stone or glass, except for the method of adding gold with the addition of tin; It should be especially emphasized that in this way the water is colored amethyst, which does not become less fresh and less suitable for drinking.” Henkel mentions Cassius' pigment. By precipitating silicon ether mixed with an alcoholic solution of gold chloride, and after exposing this precipitate to light, a silicon gel with an amethyst, yellow or pink color was obtained. In this case, colloidally dispersed gold was also formed. Quartz, colored pink with colloidal gold, was obtained by passing current through gold plates heated to high temperatures, between which a sample of quartz was enclosed.

Many researchers believed that the color of amethyst was due to an admixture of iron. In 1729, John Woodward wrote about the conditions of quartz occurrence: “... some of the crystals are red or amethyst in color, cemented by a crust of iron ore grown on the wall of a vertical crack in the rocks of St. Vincent, Bristol. The different colors of these crystals are due to the different content of ferrous particles combined with the crystals in the concretions.” Haüy believed that color was due to iron oxide, and Karl M. Marx assigned the role of a coloring agent to hydrated iron oxide. More recent work on the role of iron in amethysts is discussed in the classic work of E. F. Holden in 1925. It was assumed that the reason for the color of amethyst is titanium; in the short-lived American Mineralogical Journal in 1813, a report appeared that the color of an amethyst from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was due precisely to an admixture of titanium. Amethysts from this area sometimes contain rutile inclusions. Brewster wrote about amethyst as a mineral formed from amethyst solutions.

Doubles according to the Dauphinian law are also found in amethysts, but they are apparently quite unusual. As a result of the intersection of the Dauphinaean twin (secondary?) by the seam with the polysynthetic Brazilian twins, the latter are believed to split into two series of strips in proportions determined by the combined law of twinning.

Chemical composition of the mineral

By chemical composition Amethysts differ from other varieties of quartz in their relatively high Fe2O3 content, on the order of hundredths of a percent). The color intensity increases in proportion to the iron content. Precise Definitions alkali, aluminum, etc. contents are missing, as are very precise measurements of refractive indices and unit cell parameters. Measurements of the physical constants of amethyst, carried out with little accuracy, lie within the error limits of measuring the same constants of colorless quartz; Only slightly higher refractive indices for amethyst were given. It was assumed that the mineral includes a double solid solution of B and P (BPO 4 is isostructural with quartz) with a B 2 O 3 content of 0.001-0.0001% and that therefore its density and refractive indices fluctuate; but these data were not confirmed. Numerous spectral analyzes of amethyst were carried out, as a result of which the following elements were established as the main impurities: Fe, Al, Li, Ca, Mg, Cr, Mn, Ti and Cu.

Distribution of amethyst in nature

Amethyst crystals are usually small in size, rarely larger than 9.5 cm or 11.7 cm; giant crystals, such as smoky and colorless quartz sometimes forms, are unknown for amethyst. An unusually large and uniformly colored amethyst crystal from Brazil, found in 1946, with rhombohedral vertex faces about 9.5 cm long, weighs almost 3 kg 600 grams. Finds of crystals weighing up to 23 kg are known, but they are mostly cloudy and translucent or highly fractured, and only small areas of such crystals are transparent and evenly colored. Amethyst is formed when more low temperatures and pressures compared to smoky and rose quartz. When amethyst is associated with smoky quartz, it crystallizes after it.

In nature, the mineral is found in a variety of conditions. It is widespread in hydrothermal veins (although in these cases it is mostly very faintly colored) formed at relatively low temperatures (epithermal type), where it associates with barite, calcite, fluorite, sulfides and sometimes zeolites. There are well known finds of this type of amethyst near Guanajuato in Mexico, where amethyst druses occur together with calcite and apophyllite in silver veins. Amethyst is also widespread, although in relatively small quantities, in Alpine-type veins, but is less common there than smoky quartz. Amethyst is found in caverns of pegmatites and granites. In addition, amethyst is known to be found in hematite deposits formed during the circulation of meteoric waters or low-temperature hypogene solutions.

Of greatest practical interest are amethyst deposits in basic volcanic rocks, mainly basalts, where it occurs in rock cavities and is often associated with agates and zeolites.

Minerals that are part of the quartz group are quite popular in jewelry and are used very widely. Amethyst belongs to the most expensive and famous category. The peculiarity of the color of this stone is its shade, which varies from lilac to purple. In the photo on the Internet you can see an example of how varied the color palette of the same stone can be.

Amethyst is translated from Greek as “to be drunk.” This a type of quartz. It can be blue, bluish-pink or red-violet.

Legend of the stone

According to legend, this gem appeared thanks to the goddess Amethys, with whom the god of wine Dionysus fell in love. Dionysus' desire to possess Amethys was so great that Artemis decided to save the beauty and turned her into amethyst.

Where were amethysts mined before?

Once upon a time they were mined in the Urals. The most famous and beautiful stones originally from Talyan- This is the outskirts of the village of Murzinka (Ural). This deposit was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. The peculiarity of these minerals was their “velvet color” and the so-called “red spark”, which was observed under artificial light. After some time, the Vatikha deposit was developed, but it should be noted that these amethysts were already somewhat inferior in quality to the representatives of the Talyan deposit. At the moment, the Vatiha mine is flooded and the extraction of these stones has ceased.

Amethyst color

Now let’s look at nature and some features of amethyst color. As we all know, white is a color false in structure and it consists of a continuous spectrum different colors. Color can be split into components using a prism, and the components can be put back together, and you get the original color. white. In order to create a sense of color, it is necessary to cut out several of its rainbow components from the overall spectrum. IN precious stones Most often, chromophoric elements act as dyes. These are substances that are widely known for their coloring abilities:

• chromium,
• iron,
• vanadium and some other representatives of the chemical table.

Electrons entering the shells of their ions absorb certain colors of the spectrum and paint the stones in opposite shades. But unlike standard chromophoric coloring, amethyst is colored according to a different principle. The peculiarity is that at a temperature of 400 - 500 degrees it becomes colorless, and the color returns when the stone is irradiated with gamma radiation. Quartz turns brown, gray or yellow when irradiated, but in order for it to become a true amethyst, it must contain iron elements.

This impurity is usually not enough for coloring, but upon irradiation, iron generates color centers. When heating occurs, these centers are destroyed. Under this condition, natural amethyst becomes discolored, in some cases becoming orange-yellow - citrine, and sometimes green - praseolite. And if the amethyst is heated more, then the mineral will become cloudy, and the color centers will be completely destroyed.

A natural question may arise: where does amethyst get its radiation in nature, since the deposits of this stone do not coincide with the deposits of uranium? The reason is that these crystals were born not in a short period of time, but over a huge period, comparable to geological eras before our birth. During this time, they accumulated not only the background radiation surrounding us, but also cosmic radiation. One can even put it this way: the amethyst accumulated in itself the radiation of the universe, with all its stars, luminaries and planets.

Nowadays, there is a unique opportunity to measure exactly how amethyst transmits different spectral colors. This is done on a special computer-controlled spectrometer.

One of the varieties of quartz is amethyst, which is birefringent. This means that a ray of light that passes through such a crystal is split into 2, each of them has its own special color. Gemologists This two-coloredness is called "dichroism". In quartz it is quite complex. Its peculiarity is that in the crystal it changes depending on its direction.

If you shine an artificial light source on the amethyst, its color will appear redder, but in natural light the stone will give off a blue tint. This effect is characteristic of all types of crystals in which the spectrum of transmitted radiation contains a dip in the middle of the visible spectrum - yellow-green shades.

What determines the price of amethyst?

The cost of amethyst depends on the color it has. In this article a little higher we touched on a more expensive type of amethyst. As for more pale purple stones, which are closer to lilac, they are found much more often in nature and therefore its price is much lower. This color is called "lavender". There are even grayish amethysts when the stone has smoky tones. Such representatives are not considered particularly beautiful.

By the way, these stones are characterized by very pronounced zoning of color. Most often, not the entire crystal is completely colored. The color is concentrated mainly in several zones. But this nuance does not bother an experienced cutter. If you place the amethyst correctly, the stone will look evenly and densely colored. Of course, for jewelry with this stone to look perfect, it must be impeccably cut, so it is important to follow all the laws of optics and crystal optics.

Synthetic amethyst

Nowadays they have begun to grow synthetic amethyst. This became possible thanks to special autoclaves made of aqueous solutions and temperatures up to 500 degrees. Iron ions are added to such a solution, and then, in order to obtain amethyst color centers, the crystals are artificially irradiated with gamma radiation.

A distinctive feature between artificial stone and natural stone is the zoning of color. To increase the profitability of the process and speed up growth, the starting material is oriented in a certain way, and therefore the crystal grows not with natural edges, but with a special curved surface. As a result, the color of the stone does not replicate the edges of the crystal, but forms peculiar curved conical shapes.

Main consumer countries of synthetic amethyst

The main consumers of artificially created (synthetic) purple amethysts are Asian countries:

• Thailand;
• China.

Amethyst color (purple) in clothes

If you are a fan of the color purple in clothing, then you will most likely love the dynamic shade of purple - amethyst.

It is believed that purple amethyst will not only decorate a woman, but also protect her from overly annoying suitors and from intoxication.

What does the color amethyst (purple) mean in a person’s clothing?

This shade indicates about insight and high spirituality personality, and therefore, in an amethyst-colored robe, no one will be able to talk to you and deceive you.

By the way, stylists believe that purple is a self-sufficient color and should not be combined with other shades.

Beautiful amethyst stone

- a stone that is part of the quartz group, but at the same time stands apart from it. This is the most expensive mineral of the “family”. The reason for this is the special color of amethyst.

Both versions of the origin of its name are associated with ancient Greece. The word αμέθυστος translated from ancient Greek means “not drunk.” In addition to the direct meaning associated with intoxication, it also contained a figurative meaning - “not leading a riotous life.” It was believed that this mineral helped maintain sobriety, and therefore they even drank wine at feasts from cups made of amethyst.

The second version refers us to a mythical legend. Her heroine, the nymph Amethys, turned to stone to avoid persecution by the god of vegetation and winemaking, Bacchus. It’s easy to guess what kind of stone the beauty turned into - namely, a purple mineral.

Man discovered amethyst back in the days of Ancient Egypt. The Romans gave it the title “blessed stone” and believed that it was capable of bringing good luck, helping to calm down and collect thoughts in difficult situations. It was credited with stabilizing properties. In addition, according to legend, he was able to protect from misfortunes, bring light sleep and happiness.

During the Middle Ages, amethyst was one of the favorite stones of clergy and served as decoration on their clothes. For this he received the name apostolic or pastoral, and in Russia - bishop's.

In the 17th century, gems with a pronounced red tint were valued in Rus' higher than rubies and were called “dumplings.”

Born by nature itself

In nature, amethyst occurs in the form of crystals, which in cross-section have the shape of a rhombus. This feature, as a rule, is not typical for other quartz. There are also amethyst crystals whose shape resembles a scepter (expanding upward) or an oblong prism.

Active mining of amethysts is carried out in deposits located in Brazil and North America. In Russia, the mineral is found in the Subpolar Urals. Stones are also mined in Germany, Armenia, and on the islands of Madagascar and Ceylon.

On the Kola Peninsula, in the Murmansk region of Russia, there is a unique amethyst deposit “Cape Ship”. it is also called the "Amethyst Coast". The peculiarity of the stones mined here is their pure dark purple color.

Active mining of amethysts in Russian deposits has allowed this stone to become one of the most popular among jewelers. In the Moscow Kremlin, or rather in the Armory Chamber, a binding of the “Morozov Gospel”, framed by amethysts, is on display. It is this stone that was used in the design of the “Pantocrator” icon, dating from the mid-17th century, and the “Our Lady of Smolensk Hodegetria” icon, known from the beginning of the 11th century.

A collection of large faceted amethysts is kept in the British Museum. The mineral gallery of this most famous exhibition complex in the United Kingdom displays three stones, the largest of which weighs 343 carats. The amethyst was mined in Brazil, and jewelers gave it oval shape. Two more stones, weighing 75 and 90 carats, were found in Russia.

An unexpected discovery awaited geologists in Finland. It was here, near the town of Sodankylä, that a large block of ore was discovered. It is interspersed with more than two hundred purple amethyst crystals, the largest of which weighs 650 kilograms.

Exceptional gem

Amethyst is a fairly hard mineral; on the Mohs mineralogical scale, its hardness corresponds to 7 - slightly less than topaz.

The color of amethyst is various shades of purple. Our ancestors believed that impurities of iron and manganese gave it such a beautiful color. However, modern researchers refute this point of view and claim that minerals acquire their color due to organic impurities. Nature offers a wide range of shades of natural stone, from light, barely noticeable purple to rich, blue-red.

Depending on the nature of the lighting, amethysts may slightly change their color. For example, minerals mined in the Urals, when exposed to artificial light, acquire a beautiful violet-red hue. But stones originally from Brazil turn somewhat gray under the same conditions.

Amethyst, like any natural mineral, is characterized by fading, but the intensity of this process depends on where it was mined. Thus, the crystals of their crystal-bearing veins can withstand even direct sunlight. But stones mined in geodes among sedimentary rocks can lose their color under the influence of scattered light.

Friend of the Amestists

You can preserve the rich shade of amethyst by resorting to a common refining procedure. By briefly heating the crystals, experts enhance the color of the stone and make it more stable. Temperature effects make it possible to create amethysts of other shades. When heated at temperatures above 250 degrees, the mineral loses its color, turning yellow and greenish, and then becomes colorless. Green amethyst is called “prasiolite”; its natural deposits are almost exhausted. Processing amethysts allows you to create stones of a beautiful shade, which in their properties are in no way inferior to those originally colored in green prasiolites.

Jewelers' favorite

Thanks to its beautiful color, amethyst has gained well-deserved popularity among jewelry lovers around the world. The masters who often used the stone in their masterpieces contributed a lot to the growth of the popularity of this stone.

Today amethyst is popular in jewelry. Its color is in harmony with both gold and silver. It looks especially impressive framed in warm red gold.

The color and play of stone are revealed in a variety of forms. Amethysts look bright in their own way, both with a classic wedge-shaped cut and a cabochon cut. Different shapes allow us to reveal the jeweler's intentions.

According to the leading color institute Pantone, 2014 is marked by the “radiant orchid” - a shade of purple. This color is quite common among amethysts. Leading world fashion houses picked up fashion trend and presented them in their collections.

This stone also harmonizes with other colored jewelry inserts. That is why you can often see amethyst in one piece of jewelry, complemented by topazes, garnets and even citrines and chrysolites. The versatility of the stone is emphasized by its organic combination with enamels of different shades.

The green variety of amethyst, prasiolite, is also popular among jewelers. Stones of this color look impressive in, and due to their neutral color they are combined with topazes and brightly colored amethysts.

Amethyst is a companion of the quartz mineral and one of its manifestations. Only the great prevalence of the stone does not allow it to rise to the rank of valuable stones. Due to its exquisite purple color, transparency and unusual appearance of crystals, amethyst is highly valued by jewelers from different countries.

Properties of amethyst

Previously it was believed that the purple color of the stone was obtained as a result of coloring with manganese impurities. Recent scientific findings have determined that purple shades depend on the divalent iron contained in the stone and a violation of the structure of the crystal lattice. That's why Amethyst changes color when exposed to solar energy– the ordering of defects is disrupted.

Amethyst can withstand high temperatures. Heating above 200ºC will completely discolor the stone. Upon subsequent cooling or if the stone is exposed to x-rays, the color is completely restored.

When natural amethyst crystals are lowered into water, a lightening of color is noticed along the edges of the specimen.

Amethyst is characterized by a change in color with increasing light intensity. Stones obtained from the areas where crystal veins pass are the most resistant to sun rays. The same amethysts that are collected in sedimentary rocks, fade with long-term use even a little diffuse sunlight.

Amethyst crystals grow on a gray quartz layer. The natural shape of amethyst crystals is elongated, prismatic with a pyramid at the end, which has the most bright color. There are crystals collected in inflorescences called druses.

The main color of amethyst is purple, but there are many varieties. Meet:

• pink-violet;
• blue;
• bluish-pink;
• purplish-violet, up to almost black flowers with a violet tint.

The crystal body sometimes contains cavities that are filled with solidified liquid, called tiger stripes.

Amethyst in the culture of different countries

Russia

Stone has been in the country since ancient times in its individual manifestations. was sometimes valued higher than ruby for rare pure shades of purple. The wife of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, Irina Godunova, became famous for her luxurious and expensive outfits. Her headdress was decorated with purple amethysts.

Amethyst has been mined by monks on the shores of the White Sea since the 17th century. The stone was used for all kinds of church decorations. Crystals were used to decorate icon frames, decorate church objects and priests' clothing, and inlaid bindings. Tradition ordered all Christian clergy to wear rings decorated with amethyst, which was called prayer. This determined the name of amethyst as a pastoral, cardinal, bishop's and bishop's stone.

Andrew of Caesarea expressed the idea that the stone of violet flame is similar to the Apostle Matthew, whose fiery words are filled with heavenly manifestation and desire for the Lord's service.

Amethyst stone

Greece

In this country there is a legend that the origin of amethyst was given by Artemis, to whom a nymph in love with a young shepherd called for help. The god of winemaking, Dionysus, laid claim to her and tried to take possession of her by force. To save her companion from encroachment, Artemis turned her into a beautiful purple crystal.

Since then, the Greeks have considered amethyst as a stone for strong intoxication; it is used for rejuvenation, getting rid of wrinkles and skin pigmentation. Greek healers recommend putting the mineral in bed at night to prevent nightmares at night and promote sound sleep.

Italy

In this country, the legend about the origin of the mineral is similar to the Greek one, but has differences. The God of winemaking planned revenge on people for their neglectful attitude. He ordered the lions to kill a girl named Amethyst, who was going to the temple of Diana to pray. To protect the young maiden from suffering, Diana turned her into a transparent crystal. The terrible Bacchus splashed red wine on the statue, but it only changed color to purple.

The Romans firmly believed that if you put a stone in a glass and drink intoxicating drinks from it, you will never become intoxicated.

Egypt

Amethyst is used as a stone of wisdom and peacefulness, peoples notice the calming influence of the stone, it brings to the owner:

• abstinence;
• contemplation;
• high spirituality.

It is believed that the stone can predict changes in the weather when it gets dark.

China

With its purple color, amethyst calms mental anxiety and cultivates good and sublime thoughts. According to legend, the stone protects its owner from injury and death during the war. Chinese craftsmen use transparent stones to make small chests and caskets, and create beautiful vessels and bottles for storing incense.

Interaction of the stone with its owner according to the horoscope sign

Suitable representatives for whom wearing the mineral brings success and well-being are the zodiac signs belonging to the element of air.

Amethyst products

The healing effect of amethyst jewelry

The most valuable property is considered to be the help of a stone to a person in the treatment of alcohol addiction. For this It is recommended to drink amethyst infusion and wear a pendant hitting the solar plexus. The desire of the patient himself is necessary and the stone will definitely help.

Diseases such as gout, osteochondrosis, and headaches of unknown origin recede in owners of amethyst. The stone is designed to calm nervous excitement and relieve mental disorders.

Treats insomnia of any nature, whether nervous or caused by other reasons. Becomes an accomplice to pleasant, restful dreams and promotes an effective night's rest.

Girls using amethyst to remove freckles and improve facial skin. It also helps against numerous moles and warts, and smoothes out wrinkles.

To treat diseases, contact with the human body is used. It is recommended to temporarily apply the stone to problem areas and infuse the mineral in water. Constantly wearing beads, rings and pendants helps. People wash themselves with amethyst infusion to get rid of external ailments; internal diseases require drinking infused water.

Body massage is practiced using natural amethyst crystals. To enhance the effect It is recommended to use the stone together with crystal objects, which will help you better concentrate and convey healing properties to a person. All amulets and amulets are subject to periodic cleaning of accumulated negative energy.

The magical effect of amethyst

In the field of magic, the stone signifies pure thoughts, high spirituality and devotion in love. His used for magical actions aimed at ridding a person of alcohol and drug addiction.

Owners of mineral amulets are blessed with good luck and a happy time. Amethyst amulets will block the path of the evil eye, drive away evil fate and messages of negative magic. If the owner of the amulet goes to someone with a “guilty head,” then a peaceful resolution of the conflict is guaranteed to him.

Amethyst enhances the owner’s abilities for astrology and clairvoyance, and opens a passage to higher immaterial spheres. Purple color is the boundary color in the color spectrum and behind it there is something invisible to the human eye.

Amethyst can attract the attention of a loved one if given for this purpose. That's why It is not recommended to accept amethyst as a gift to one of a married couple from the hands of a single person. Under circumstances, a stone can destroy a family.

Amethyst jewelry is worn by all people with great pleasure because of the belief in their positive action. The beauty of the mysterious stones makes its owner mysterious and attractive.

In this article:

One of the most beautiful varieties of quartz is amethyst. Its crystals reach sizes from 10 to 45 centimeters, and the largest of them have a more cloudy color. Iron, manganese and some organic acids are responsible for the purple tint in quartz. Depending on where it is mined and the presence of impurities, you can find shades of the stone such as blue, pink and purple. There are many deposits of amethyst, for which different mining methods are used. How is amethyst mined and what is needed for it?

Natural stone amethyst

Research has shown that this mineral originated in the depths of the Earth under the influence of water and high pressure. Amethyst is often found in volcanic rock, sometimes in rock crystal.

Depending on how the light falls on the stone, it changes its color. If the rays of the sun, even of moderate intensity, fall on it for a long time, it becomes discolored. But these properties are not characteristic of all varieties of amethyst. Amethysts mined in the Urals are considered valuable precisely because they are not exposed to the sun.

When heated, the stones change their color to yellow or colorless. Sometimes this property is used to imitate topaz or aquamarine. If amethyst is heated to 400 degrees, you can get citrine.

Methods for extracting amethyst

Depending on the origin, there are several methods of extracting stone. Most often, they are very simple and no additional technology or scientific base is required.

1) It is isolated from rocks using quarries or underground workings.

In such deposits, specific formations called geodes are found. They are a cavity with walls made of dense chalcedony, inside of which precious minerals are found. If the stone is mined underground, then this mining method is the most expensive. This greatly affects the cost of stones, so this method is rarely used and only if the mineral is there.

For such production in rock adits are being laid. They are horizontal workings. In addition, vertical openings are also required for ventilation and transportation. All this requires costs, so amethysts are rarely mined in this way.

2) The easiest way is to collect stones from the surface of the earth. It is chipped off using chisels, hammers, and crowbars. Some minerals can be knocked off rocks with hammers or by blasting the rock.

Mining amethyst by hand

3) Stones from placer deposits are extracted by washing or using dredges. This is usually done from dry rivers, on the coast near the surf, in rock crevices. The latter method is used to extract amethysts on the White Sea coast. In the river, mining is carried out by washing the soil in baskets and other devices.

Types of amethysts

In nature, an amethyst crystal rarely grows to impressive sizes. Amethyst druses usually unite thousands of small crystals, and fragments of such druses become elements of interior decorations in private collections. There are different varieties amethysts, which are found in different deposits. The most expensive Deep Siberian has a brighter color and play of colors in the edges. More common varieties, for example, Rose of France, are many times cheaper.

When heated, as already mentioned, amethyst changes color. At a temperature close to 500 degrees, it acquires a bright yellow color, and at a temperature of 575 degrees, it becomes orange.

Jewelry with amethyst was popular in all stores in the USSR. This is due to the fact that the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences developed a technology that made it possible to grow huge quartz crystals of any color. This artificial amethyst has qualities that are common to everyone. artificial stones- it has no defects.

Where is amethyst mined? The highest quality stones are obtained in Mexico. In second place are stones mined in the Urals. In addition, stones from Brazil, the USA, Canada and Germany are highly prized. In the USA, you can even do this privately in fields specially equipped for this. The find is then processed and inserted into the metal.