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What is it and where is
it formed?
Amethyst is the birthstone for February. It is usually
attached to granite rock. It is found with
igneous,
metamorphic, and
sedimentary rocks. |
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How and where is it mined?
Amethyst is mined using underground mining. Many times it
is found using drift mining. Amethyst is not in
veins. It
is chunks attached to granite. [Little
Gems mining information] It is mined in: Mexico, Brazil,
Uruguay, Canada, Zambia, South Africa, and the United States
(North Carolina, Maine, Pennsylvania, Arizona). |
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What is it used for?
It is used in jewelry and stones for display. |
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Amethyst is a kind of quartz. |
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Mineral Characteristic |
What the
mineralogists say |
Kid's Guide: What it REALLY
means! |
| Chemical Symbol |
SiO2 |
It
has oxygen and silicon in it. |
| Color |
Purple |
True
amethysts are always purple. |
| Streak |
White |
If
you crush this stone, it will make a white dust. |
| Transparency |
Opaque to transparent |
If
you look through this stone, you might see clearly
through it, have it be blurry, or not be able to see
through it at all. There are a lot of different kinds. |
| Luster |
Vitreous |
It
shines like glass. |
| Cleavage |
None |
It
will not break evenly, in the same pattern, each time. |
| Fracture |
Conchoidal |
If
it shatters, the pieces will have smooth surfaces. |
| Magnetism |
None |
It
is not attracted to and will not attract a magnet. |
| Hardness |
7 |
It
is above average in hardness. It will scratch glass. |
| Specific gravity |
2.65 |
It
is about average in weight. If you held a stone, it
would seem to be the right weight for its size. |
| Crystal Shape |
Trigonal |
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The most valuable
amethysts are transparent. |
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Links:
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©
Photographer:
Randy Mckown
| Agency:
Dreamstime.com |
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One superstition about Amethysts
is that they
will keep you safe from death, poison, and witchcraft. |
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Printer
friendly version |
Citations:
“Amethyst.”
Raintree Illustrated Science Encyclopedia. 1991 ed.
“Amethyst.” World
Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.
"Amethyst." The
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University
Press.,
2003. Answers.com 3 Nov. 2005. <http://www.answers.com/topic/amethyst>.
"Amethyst."
Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2005. Answers.com 15 Feb. 2006. <http://www.answers.com/topic/amethyst>.
Pellant, Chris.
Rocks and Minerals. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1992.
Zim, Herbert S.
Rocks and minerals: a guide to familiar minerals, gems, ores and rocks. New
York: Golden Press,1957. |
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