The Beauty of Amethyst
One of the most stunning stones is amethyst. From light lavender to deep purple hues, amethyst has a luxurious opulent aura. The name amethyst is of Greek origin meaning "to intoxicate," this comes from the old belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. It was thought that wine drank out of a cup of amethyst would not intoxicate. Amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for intaglios. Beads of amethyst are found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England. It is a widely distributed mineral, A huge geode, or "amethyst-grotto", from near Santa Cruz in southern Brazil was exhibited at the Düsseldorf Exhibition of 1902. Many of the hollow agates of Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of amethyst crystals in the interior. Much fine amethyst comes from Russia, where it occurs in drusy cavities in granitic rocks. Many localities in India yield amethyst; and it is found also in Sri Lanka