649 - Amethyst

ID	649
Mineral	Amethyst
Location	Iraí - Rio Grande Do Sul - Brazil
Fluorescence	LW-UV: close SW-UV: close
Mindat.org	View Amethyst information at mindat.org

ID	198
Long ID	1:1:198:0
Variety of	3337
Entry type	2
Other Occurrences	Very common, in many different environments. The commercially most important occurrences are in volcanic rocks, where amethyst crystals outline former gas cavities. In low and medium temperature hydrothermal veins associated with iron ores. As late overgrowth ("scepter quartz") on quartz in pegmatite and alpine-type environments.
Colour	Violet - purple
Lustre	Vitreous
About the name	From Greek "a-methystos", meaning "not drunk". In ancient times, it was believed that amethyst warded off drunkenness. Drinking cups were sometimes carved from amethyst. At the same time, the colour of the red wine drunk from these cups is said to have been approximately the same colour as the cups. Therefore, the wine could be diluted with water without the drinker noticing, thinking it was the material of the cup itself that warded off drunkenness.

Symbol	Element
O	Oxygen
Si	Silicium

Amethyst