Amethyst, the February birthstone and probably the most valuable member of the Quartz family, derives its name from a Greek word meaning “not to intoxicate”.

It’s reputed power to cure or prevent drunkenness stems from an ancient Greek myth that tells of the god Bacchus who, offended by some neglect of the goddess Diana, determined to avenge himself by declaring that the first person he met would be devoured by tigers. The beautiful maiden Amethyst crossed his path. As the ferocious beasts sprang toward her, she called upon Diana for protection and was saved from a worse fate and turned to pure, clear stone. Upon seeing this, Bacchus became repentant and poured the juice of the grape over the petrified body, thus giving it its lovely purple hue. Because of this connection with the mythical Bacchus, the god of wine, it was long believed that wine drunk from an amethystine cup would prevent the drinker from losing his wits at banquets or drinking bouts.

Since it was one of the first gemstones used by man, many other legendary attributes were associated with amethyst. It was thought by our ancestors to quicken the intelligence and thus render the owner shrewd in business, to protect the soldier and give him victory, to aid hunters, to protect against contagious diseases, and to control evil thoughts.

Catherine the Great was devoted to amethyst and sent thousands of workers to the Uralian mines to search for the stone. Her great collections of emeralds and amethysts were sold by the Russian Government about 1906, although many fine specimens of the latter still remain in the Soviet Treasury. A number of fine amethysts are in the Coronation regalia of England.

The orb, a golden ball six inches in diameter that signifies the domination of the Christian religion over the world, contains a gloriously colored amethyst measuring one and one half inches high. The King’s scepter is studded with the gems. The coronet of the Prince of Wales is a circlet of pearls and fine amethysts.

Today, amethyst-set rings are often worn by bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, and ceremonial wine is frequently drunk from goblets fashioned from this beautiful variety of quartz.