The Amethyst is the most misunderstood jewelry piece because it is made of quartz instead of having pure gem properties like the diamond.  In fact the amethyst was used in Greek and Roman days to rid a person from intoxication and to protect its owner from drunkedness.

Amethyst is a purpose quartz stone and actually have a scientific notation:  Si02.  Manganese is in the stone giving it the purple hue.  Recent reports  are that the color is caused by ferric iron impurities.  The interplay of iron and aluminum is why amethyst is purple.  When heated amethyst become yellow and is said to then become citrine.  As the synthetic diamond is available, synthetic amethyst is available also.  Amethyst is very suitable for jewelry.

Amethyst is produced in Brazil from geodes and is found in volcanic and granitic  rocks.  Amethyst is also mined in South  Korea.  Amethyst is also found in Austria, Russia and Zambia.  Because of the huge deposits found in Brazil, Amethyst has lost most of it value.

At one time Amethyst was comparitive in value with diamonds sapphire and ruby.  The highest grade Amethyst is called Deep Russian and is very rare.