KHOMSSA Amethyst and Turquoise Earrings

KHOMSSA Amethyst and Turquoise Earrings

HISTORY OF AMETHYST
Originally used as an ornamental stone, the amethyst gem was previously exploited for decorative purposes by the Etruscans and the Egyptians. It was also used during the 18th century to make staples and pins. Nowadays, amethysts are still considered as precious stones, which has in the past brought them forward on many precious goods (British Crown, Egyptian Crown, Russian Crown, etc.). Due to their color and the beauty of their brilliance, these gems are still among the most popular stones. The mauve gems represent the stone of Bacchus. Like the Greeks, the Romans at the time drank their wine in amethyst cups that were adorned with Bacchus, god of wine, in order to guard against drunkenness. They also made bracelets and necklaces to wear the divinity that is Bacchus, but also the amethyst nymph.

In the biblical register, amethyst gems hold all their importance. From all times quartz had as its principal symbolism the encouragement of celibacy and piety. It is also not uncommon to find it on the ornaments of the clergy in the Middle Ages. She was frequently found on relics, on bishops’ rings and on priestly vestments. Several examples illustrate this admiration for amethyst among Christians. For example, Joseph gave Mary a ring set with an amethyst. Valentine’s Day, the loan at the origin of the lovers’ party, wore a pendant set with an amethyst around his neck. And finally, the Vatican bishops wore a ring with an amethyst as a symbol of their dedication to the church. The place of this stone is equally sacred in the Buddhist religion and appears regularly in the design of the rosaries, variety of amethyst necklaces accompanied by an amethyst pendant.

A little later, during the Renaissance, it was none other than Leonardo da Vinci who praised the benefits of amethyst gems. Thanks to the precious notes he left in his notebooks, we know that he used this purple mineral to increase his intelligence, concentration and creativity, but also to drive negative thoughts out of his mind.

ORIGIN AND COMPOSITION OF AMETHYST
Discovered in very large quantities at the beginning of the 20th century and especially in Brazil, amethyst gems are considered very recent stones. You can find them in different sizes: Both purple geodes of size XL (1m50 to 2m high, see more when they come from Brazil), as small geodes of size 30/ 40cm, or as very small gems in jewelry. Its main deposits were originally discovered in Uruguay and Brazil. From now on, this stone is also mined and exploited in African, South American, American, Russian and Australian countries. Although the largest quantity of amethyst gems comes from South American countries, the specificity that can be seen in African countries is that it is much richer in terms of colour. In Australia, the stone is much smaller and much darker. In amethyst deposits, it is not uncommon to find his cousin, citrine. When amethyst and citrine mix, you get a sublime ametric stone with vibrant notes of yellow and violet. This gem has different qualities, ranging from AAA to E. The quality of this stone is determined according to the richness in inclusion or not, and the opacity or not of the gem. In the form of bracelets for example, they are often of quality A to AA.

Amethyst belongs to the family of violet quartz with strong inclusions, that is to say stones composed of silicon dioxide. On the Mohs scale, its hardness is 7 and its density revolves around 2.6. This quartz varies between diaphanous and translucent, between a purplish and purple hue, which is mainly due to the iron impurities that can be found in its crystalline lens. The shades that can be found for this stone can range from purple to bluish to light purple. They suggest very strong inclusions but also small ones depending on its origin. It is possible to find more purple tones depending on the extraction location. The same amethyst can offer and often offers different intensities of colors, different varieties and types of inclusions, presenting an alloy of colors of blue, violet and pink. Up to 250°C, the color of this stone is perfectly intact. From 500°C, its color changes to light yellow. This makes it several varieties, known as amethyst, ametric or heated citrine. The larger the size of the amethyst gems, such as the size of a geode, the longer the crystals will take to change color and lose their natural colors of purple and purple.

It is quite common for amethysts to be heated at high temperature to modify, intensify and fix their color, like heated citrine for example. Natural amethysts are those that have not undergone any temperature change. Robust and powerful, amethyst does not fear human modifications. As such, it is very popular in the world of jewellery because it opens the field of possibilities in terms of jewellery and artistic creations.

Most crystals and minerals are categorized according to their weight, hardness and quality. On the other hand, the value of amethyst lies in its color. This is the reason why Men try to modify it by the heat, to make its violet color lighter or more intense. The rarest, and therefore the most expensive, are the most transparent. By allowing more light to flow through, the brightest amethysts offer exceptional reflections, oscillating between pink, blue and red.

Natural amethysts are quartz of magmatic origin. They are found in centimetric geodes, basaltic rocks and plutonic rocks such as granite. Today, its main deposits are in Europe, Russia and India, but the most spectacular are in Madagascar, Zambia, Brazil and Uruguay. In this regard, the most transparent amethyst gems come most often from Brazil for the manufacture of jewellery with silver or gold frames: earrings and rings in particular, it is in this country where we find the most beautiful quality.