What's That Rock?Amethyst
The purple variety of quartz. The color ranges from pale lilac to deep violet and can be uneven within one crystal.
How to identify Amethyst
- Purple color in a quartz crystal with a glassy luster
- Often grows as points lining the inside of a geode, with color strongest at the tips
- Hardness 7: scratches glass
Often confused with
- Purple fluoritemuch softer, cleaves in flat planes
- Purple glass
- Charoite
- Lepidolite
Real or fake?
- Dyed or heated quartz and synthetic amethyst exist and look very similar; a lab is needed to tell them apart
- Purple glass can show bubbles; uniform color with no zoning can be a warning sign
Is Amethyst valuable?
Usually inexpensive. Deep, even color and large clean stones cost more.
Typical retail prices
Typical retail ranges in US dollars, compiled from public dealer and marketplace listings in October 2026. Real prices vary widely with quality, size and origin. This is general information, not an appraisal.
What changes the price
- Color: deep, even purple with red flashes ('Siberian') is the top grade; pale or patchy stone is cheap
- Clarity and size: clean cut stones over a few carats and big clean clusters cost more
- Treatment: heat can turn it yellow or colorless; irradiation and synthetic amethyst exist and look alike
- Origin: Uruguayan and Zambian material is well regarded, Brazilian is common and affordable
- Form: geodes and clusters are priced by size and color depth
Uses
- Jewelry
- Decorative geodes and cut stones
Care
Strong sunlight can fade the color over time and heat can turn it yellow or colorless. Store away from direct sun.
Folklore
An old belief held that amethyst protected its wearer from drunkenness. The name comes from a Greek word meaning 'not intoxicated'.
A tradition or belief, not a scientific fact.
Identifying a stone from a description or a photo is an estimate. Many stones look alike. Ask an expert or a gem lab before you buy, sell or rely on an identification.
Updated October 2026