Amethyst

The above picture shows Amethyst crystals in the background and some more valuable dark purple cabochons made into pendants in the foreground. Purple or violet in color, the deeper the color, the more prized the piece. Amethyst is one of the oldest materials used as gemstones as it has been found in Egyptian artifacts. It is a February birthstone and 6th wedding anniversary stone. 

 Deposits of Amethyst are found in geodes in alluvial deposits. The most impressive sources are found in Brazil, Zambia, Uruguay and Madagascar. Other deposits reside in Burma, Namibia, India, Canada, Russia, Mexico, Sri Lanka and even the state of Arizona in the United States.

The highest quality stones can be faceted, while lesser specimens can be tumbled for beautiful purple stone jewelry.
In times past, Amethyst was often worn to ward off drunkenness, as the true Greek meaning of it's name implies.

Some geode deposits will garner crystals that are half Amethyst and half Citrine, thus creating a gemstone called Ametrine. These finds are usually from deposits in Brazil and Bolivia.

This picture to the right shows a parcel of faceted Amethyst from Africa.

STATS:
Color: Purple, violet, pale red-violet
Mohs' Hardness Scale: 7
Density: 2.65
Transparency: Transparent