| Quartz,
the most common single mineral includes
many varieties and sub-varieties.
Amethyst is the name given to the
variety which is transparent and
light to dark purple in color. Although
amethyst is found on almost every
continent the dark transparent and
clean stones are relatively rare
and always in demand.
Silica
is the most abundant oxide in the
earth's crust, and its crystalline
from Quartz, probably exhibits the
greatest variations in color and
shape of all minerals. The Purple
variety is known as Amethyst. Its
color is generally attributed to
the presence of small amounts of
manganese within the Crystals, Nicely
shaped specimens have generally
formed in cavities or fissures in
a rock. |
| Gemological
Information |
| Color
: |
Purple,
Violet |
| Refractive
Index: |
1.544
- 1.553 |
| Chemical
Composition: |
SiO2 |
| Hardness: |
7 |
| Density: |
2.66 |
| Crystal
Group: |
Hexagonal |
| Ocurrence: |
Brazil,
Uraguay, Bolivia, Madagascar, Russia,
Sri Lanka, USA, Zambia |
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