F A C E T - N A T I O N

Amethyst ranges on color from violet to red-purple; it is often light in tone. Commercial Amethyst has traditionally been called Siberian when the stone shows red flashes against a purple background. These names now denote quality rather than the source. Principle sources of Amethyst include Brazil, its neighbor Uruguay, and the USSR. Other important locales include Bolivia, Mexico, Tanzania, PSU, Namibia (SW Africa), and Zambia.

You read it right! An amethyst deposit was discovered about 15 years ago in Australia. It is producing darker colored gemstones that show up well in smaller sizes. Generally, cutting amethyst in smaller sizes meant giving up color. The Australian rough ITSELF has very strong color, allowing even small sizes to maintain the dark color the market demands. Iron oxide gives these gemstones their purple color. The deposit is located in Western Australia on Mt. Phillips in a Hydrothermal vein and it produces about 15 tons of rough annually, from which 1200 to 1500 kilograms of cut-table material is found.

The Australian amethysts are similar to those from the Soviet Union and Zambia, but generally darker than Brazilian material. The rough is found in pegmatite rock verses the traditional geodes. A report by geologists identifies the deposit as an oval shaped area of approximately 4 by 5 meters. Mr. George Chan, who shares the lease on the mine, said the Mt. Phillips deposit has long term potential. One problem in mining is the heat. Temperatures can reach 115 degrees! This limits the work at the mine to only four to five months of the year. And believe it or not. Australian amethyst have found their way to PSU, in San Antonio!.

UPDATES: Chemical Composition: Silicon Dioxide Enhancements: Quench-crackling (heating & then cooling quickly) to produce iridescent effects or allow dyes to penetrate. Irradiation, Heat Treatment, Coating or foil backs, Dyeing, Bleaching. Crystal System: Trigonal Luster: Vitreous Dispersion: .013 Fracture: Conchoidal, very brittle Transparency: Transparent Availability: Plentiful Designation: Birthstone February Color Ranges: Purple through bluish purple (Daylight), Red through reddish purple (Incandescent), tones 2 to 8, saturation's 1 through 5

Sources: Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Zambia, Russia Styles of Cut: Faceted, cabochons, beads, carvings Light: May fade