Amethyst is the most valued stone in the quartz group. It is said to have many supernatural powers; it brings luck, ensures constancy, protects against magic, and home-sickness. Its (Greek) name probably means "not drunken" as amethyst was also an amulet worn to dissuade drunkenness. Crystals are always grown into a base. Pyramids are not well developed, so they are often found as "crystal points" with deepest color. These crystals are broken off the base.

• Color : Violet, pale red-violet
• Color of streak : White
• Mohs' hardness : 7
• Specific gravity : 2.63-2.65
• Cleavage : none
• Fracture : Conchoidal, very brittle
• Crystal system : Hexagonal (trigonal); hexagonal prisms
• Chemical composition : Si2 Silicon dioxide
• Transparency : transparent
• Refractive index : 1.544-1.553
• Double refraction : +0.009
• Dispersion : 0.013
• Pleochroism : Very weak; violet, gray-violet
• Absorption spectrum : (5500-5200)
• Fluorescence : Weak; greenish