Amethyst

"On high the amethyst is set

In color like the violet,

With flames of if of gold it glows

And far its purple radiance flows;

The humble heart it signifies

Of him who in the Savior dies."

-- Marbodus


Amethyst is a member of the quartz family owing its color to manganese and iron. Amethyst was a precious stone at one time until a vast deposit was found in Brazil. Other sources for amethyst include Ceylon, Siberia, and Persia. The occult power of amethyst for curing intoxication originated in ancient Greece where it gets its name, meaning "without intoxication". Aristotle says, Amethyst was the name of the nymph who protected Diana from the attentions of Bacchus. As a reward, Amethyst was transformed into a gem and given to Bacchus who imbued the gem with its purple color. The power given to this gemstone to protect its wearer originated from the worship of the god, Bacchus. The belief in the sobering effect of amethyst as an antidote for alcohol was very strong -- so strong -- the ancients used it to counteract the effects of vapors that emanated from all spirits and wines.

Amulets made of amethyst were recommended as a cure for gout; an amethyst placed under the tongue enabled a person to drink without ill-effect; amethyst placed under a pillow was believed to cure insomnia; furthermore, an amethyst warmed by the sun, wrapped in silk, and worn on the temples was believed to remedy nervous headaches. In a mystical sense, amethyst was worn by the Egyptians to ward "the evil eye" and protect the wearer against treachery. Medieval lapidaries report amethyst as the common variety of gemstone, yet assign to it various positive virtues. Their claims are contrary to those of the ancients who hadn't put much faith in claims of amethyst being a cure for intoxication. By the twelfth century, however, European lapidaries adopted the claim as Aaron had, that amethyst maintained sobriety. It also kept its bearer awake, repressed evil thoughts, and strengthened understanding. The amethyst mined from India was thought to be softer so better for carving.

The Egyptians carved amethyst into amulets for soldiers. It was believed the amulet would give the soldier calm when in danger. According to Pliny, the Magi believed the Sun and Moon engraved on amethyst would protect the wearer from from witchcraft. Camillus Leonardus says the following in regard to amethyst, "It represses evil thoughts and all excesses; prevents contagion, and gives good understanding of hidden things, making a man vigilant and expert in business." Amethyst is also the gemstone of Saint Valentine who was rumored to have always worn it. The amethyst was one of the gemstones quoted in the story of Exodus as one of the twelve stones chosen for the breast-plate of Aaron. Doctors frequently wore amethyst during the Middle Ages as well as employing it in medicine. With the images of the Sun and Moon carved upon an amethyst, when placed around the neck, the bearer was believed to ward the influences of an occult nature making this gemstone useful as a charm against witchcraft.

Stones were believed either to be noble or ignoble depending on their transparency and brightness. From these two virtues, a gem's purity could have been estimated while the powers of the stone were thought to be inherent of the material by which the gemstone was composed. The properties of stones by contrast referred to the origin of a stone and were explained as conditions of hot, cold, moist, or dry. The power of gemstones went even as far as the stars since the virtues of transparency and brightness were comparable with celestial objects. Stars like celestial objects fortunately were opaque for modern scientists utilizing the criticism which the scientific method was based.

Amethyst, in conclusion, was particularly popular with Heads of State*, rather not for its property as a relic of ancient religion, for its mystical property of changing color. Given the belief that the hues of purple and blue exercised a therapeutic effect, government officials treated their food by holding an amethyst (rings or amulets) close by to see if the stone changed color. The rumors of the virtue of amethyst as a detector of poisonous substances had come from the writers of antiquity, so much so, it was used for beads of rosaries and jewels on episcopal rings. Thus, amethyst has a deeply spiritual sense. In religious ceremony, its virtues of purple and blue induce meditation as evinced by the term The Bishop's Stone. When contemplated, The Bishop's Stone had the reputation of invoking piety, humility, and wisdom. In fact, the amethyst was the gemstone for ornamentation of temple vessels and regalia.

* Doris M Hodges; "Healing Stones"; 1961, page 17


  • Marbodius of Rennes, also known as Marbod, was a teacher, Latin poet, and bishop. Marbod was a pupil of Fulbert during an educational revival, and the writing of Marbod marks the transition to Christian humanism. An extensive poem, The Book Of Stones, describes the qualities and virtues of 60 different stones including gems. Due to its popularity, Marbod's book of gems was translated in several different languages.

  • Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist who wrote many of the concepts embedded in Western thinking. His work on philosophy divided it into smaller parts namely logic, metaphysics, physics, art, ethics, and politics; furthermore, nature itself was divided into parts namely air, earth, fire, water, and ether. His metaphysics on being and ethics on virtue are relevant to gemology.

  • Theophrates, as the student of Aristotle, was the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school, the school of philosophy at Athens, Greece. His work, On Stones, was used by lapidaries until the early Renaissance and was relatively free from fable and myth. He knew pearls came from shell-fish and spoke of the fossilized remains of organic life. He classified rocks and gems according to reactions after being heated and even mentioned coal as a source of heat for metallurgy.