I went to the local flea market today and found a rock for sale. I decided to purchase the rock and bring it home to do a little research on it. After surfing the internet I discovered my find to be a mineral rock named, “amethyst. ” I was interested in finding out where and how this mineral was formed. The more I searched, the more I encountered fascinating information. This is a small summary of what I learned. The physical characteristics of amethyst consist of a transparent or translucent, coarse-grained.
It is a member of quartz. Amethyst belongs to a class of silicates that is unfoIiated. This precious rock is known for its violet hue color. The color may vary from tones of a pale to a dark purple. Its chemical composition consists of silica, oxygen and minor iron impuritie
...s which cause the amethyst’s color. Amethyst luster is vitreous, which means it shines like glass. The streak it makes is color white. When the rock is crushed it leaves a white powder. Amethyst has no cleavage and its fractures are conchoidal.
The hardness is considered to be a 7 which is above average on Moh’s Hardness Scale, and will scratch glass. Amethyst may form in several types of rocks such as, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. They may also be found in hydrothermal veins, metasomatic and hot spring deposits. The amethyst can be attached to various types of rocks like, granites, gneiss and sandstones. I also learned that amethyst has a meaning. Amethyst is derived from the Greek word “ametusthos” meaning “not intoxicated.
“ Legend says, there was a
God of drunkenness named, Dionysius, who was angered one day by an insult from a mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal being that crossed his path. He created fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. To protect her from the wrath of Dionysius, Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws of the tigers.
At the sight of the beautiful statue, Dionysius wept tears of wine in remorse for his evil deed. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today as amethyst. ” http://www. gemandmineralinfo. com/Content. aspx? ItemId=11 I am glad to have encountered and took the time to learn about this precious rock. When I purchased this rock the man selling it to me was telling me about several spiritual meanings and uses that this rock had. I told him that I just liked the color and wanted to take it home to begin a rock collection of my own.
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