Happy Birthday to all who share this month, Amethyst is your birthstone.

Appropriately so that amethyst is the birthstone for February as St. Valentine, the patron of romantic love, wore an amethyst ring carved with the image of cupid.  Amethyst is known for being the common purple quartz stone, but it has various shades of purple that range from light lilac to deep and intense royal violet to earthy purple. 

Amethyst is found in clustered specimens as this image above, and it grows in mineral grains or granite rocks in a beautiful six-sided columnar crystal with the top shaped like a pyramid.  Amethyst was the "diamond" the years before Christ and right up until the Middle Ages.  Amethyst was also once considered equal to the emerald, ruby and sapphire in value until more deposits were found and Amethyst was no longer considered rare.

Ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst, and also made drinking goblets from it; they believed that it would prevent intoxication, control evil thoughts and increase intelligence.  Amethyst have played prominent roles in royal crown jewels and religious jewelry for ages.  Amethyst also adorns the fingers of bishops and royalty.  

The amethyst gemstone is said to strengthen imagination, focus, enhance one's creativity and passion, and is worn for protection and intuition.

Enjoy your birthstone February! May it bring you all these qualities and more.