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Amethyst

The essence of the color purple, amethyst is beautiful enough for crown jewels yet affordable enough for class rings.

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Royal Purple

This 13.44-ct. Zambian gem displays the rich royal purple color typical of fine amethysts.

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Antique Cut

Amethyst is available in many shapes and sizes including antique cuts.

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Eye Clean

The finest amethysts are typically eye-clean.

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Six Sided

These crystals are typical six-sided columns with tapering faces that meet in a point.

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Zoning

Amethyst crystals often show purple and colorless zones.

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Distinctive Markings

Like many quartz varieties, amethyst might form radiating crystal clusters

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XClear Selections
Hollandite crystals inside a natural amethyst from Bahia, Brazil. Photomicrograph by Liviano Soprani; field of view 2.20 mm.
Hollandite in Amethyst

Liviano Soprani, January 26, 2024

A spectacular display of hollandite crystals is captured within an amethyst cabochon.

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Gem materials and in front of rare books.
Article
Top 10 Digital Reads from the GIA Library

GIA Library Staff, April 2, 2020

Explore GIA’s collection of free, rare digital books and manuscripts that document the history of gems and jewelry.

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Three light-to-medium blue carved sculptures sit in a line – from larger to smaller.
Article
Making the Cut: The Art and Science of Fantasy Carving

Sharon Bohannon, January 10, 2020

Gem cutters - whether “gem whisperers” or mathematicians - create breathtakingly artistic individual gems and sculptures.

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A large red-orange crystal of wulfenite is nestled in the arms of matrix.
Article
Arizona Road Trips: Wild West Gem and Mineral Localities

Sharon Bohannon, November 18, 2019

Arizona’s scenic desert and mountain landscape is the perfect backdrop for a modern Wild West road trip in search of gem and mineral treasures.

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The octopus head is a baroque Tahitian cultured pearl and its arms are made of black, yellow and white diamond (in a striped pattern) set in black-plated 18K gold.
Article
A Tropical Paradise of Ocean-Inspired Jewelry and Gemstones

Sharon Bohannon, August 9, 2019

Escape to a warm-water paradise in your mind with these jewels that formed in the sea, are inspired by marine life and evoke the ocean’s essence.

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A bow brooch with long ribbon tendrils.
Article
Bows in Jewelry: The Finishing Touch in Giving

Sharon Bohannon, February 4, 2019

Bows have been a popular motif and finishing touch in jewelry and fashion from time immemorial, recurring and adapting to reflect the style of the era.

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Four trapiche-like amethyst cabochons.
Trapiche-like Amethyst from Brazil

Ziyin Sun, Jonathan Muyal, and Dylan Hand, August 9, 2018

Four amethyst cabochons are unique due to inclusions that create a trapiche-like appearance.

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Gerd Dreher agate lily and Patrick Dreher citrine mouse
Gem Virtuosos: The Drehers and Their Extraordinary Carvings

Robert Weldon, Cathleen Jonathan, and Rose Tozer, January 26, 2018

A look at the artistic heritage of the Drehers, an influential family of gem carvers in Idar-Oberstein, Germany.

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Cabochons of strongly zoned Brazilian quartz.
Multi-Color-Zoned Quartz from Brazil

Jaroslav Hyršl, October 31, 2017

A Brazilian quartz with unusual color zoning caused by variable iron content is examined.

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Amethyst crystals from Morocco
Moroccan Amethyst: Mining and Marketing

Andrew Lucas and Tao Hsu, May 8, 2017

Insight into amethyst mining activity in Morocco.

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