February Birthstone: Amethyst
The February birthstone amethyst is a variety of quartz with a beautiful violet hue. Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "intoxicated" (the stone was believed to protect its wearer from drunkenness). The purple hue can vary from a light, pinkish violet to a deep purple; the color is created by irradiation, iron impurities, and trace elements. Amethysts occur in the cavities of granite rocks and are found all over the world.
Roman intaglio portrait of Caracalla in amethyst
The ancient Egyptians used amethysts to create intaglio engraved gems. Later, medieval European soldiers carried amethyst amulets into battle, believing that the stone would help heal wounds and keep one cool-headed. Western Christian bishops wear an episcopal ring that often includes an amethyst, an allusion Acts 2:15, in which the apostles are not intoxicated at Pentecost.
Amethysts have also been associated with royalty and have appeared in scepters, crowns, and other items of regal jewelry. Amethyst is also said to have been the ninth stone in the breastplate of the high priest of Israel, Aaron, and one of the stones upon which the names of the tribes of Israel were engraved.
Modern Amethyst Lore
In the crystal healing tradition, amethyst is associated with peace, courage, stability, and clarity of mind. Wearing amethyst jewelry against your skin is believed to reduce stress and heighten the wearer’s intuition. Advocates of crystal healing recommend using them in meditation to more deeply connect with yourself.
Amethysts can also be used throughout the home to bring peace to any space. Placing an amethyst cluster near the entryway of your business is believed to attract abundance and new financial opportunities.
Try this self-reflection exercise using amethysts.
Amethysts at Barbara Michelle Jacobs Jewelry
Amethysts are featured in the Royal Ruby and Amethyst Twig Ring. This statement ring is designed to elevate everyday experiences—whether that’s just a trip to the store or a fine and fancy dinner—and remind you that you’re every bit as special as a royal lady!
Do you love amethysts?
You may also be interested in: The Meaning of Pearls
The Tradition of Healing Stones
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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Energy Muse, Barbara Michelle Jacobs Jewelry
Trend Watch: Wellness Jewelry
The fashion world has taken note of the increasing focus on wellness (see all of the yoga class-friendly athleisure for proof!)—and trendy jewelry has followed suit. Combining wellness traditions (like aromatherapy, meditation charms, and crystal healing) with high-end style, the following wellness pieces aim to help you cultivate inner peace—and look good while doing it! These pieces can help facilitate meditation or simply serve as a reminder to practice self-care in the middle of a busy day.
Taryn Toomey Aquamarine Necklace
Aquamarine is believed to soothe the emotional body, support the throat chakra, and promote healthy and open communication.
VLTA Essential Oil Diffusing Jewelry
These beautiful eco-friendly pieces can house a small amount of essential oils (about 15 drops) that gently diffuse while you’re wearing the jewelry. The charm may also be used to topically apply essential oils for a more immersive essential oil experience.
Satya Jewelry Renewed Self Tassel Earrings
Inspired by summer’s rejuvenating quality, these silk tassel earrings are designed to soothe the senses while the gold lotus symbolizes new beginnings.
Ganesh, the Indian god of removing obstacles and fostering new beginnings, is depicted in 22 karat gold alongside an amethyst tusk and a garnet stone. Together, these three charms are designed to inspire compassion, love, success, and good fortune.
The Tulsi Project Yoga-Inspired Jewelry
Inscribed with phrases like “Om Shanti” and “Namaste,” these pieces are designed to inspire self-love: “I hope to inspire in the women who wear my designs a sense of self-love because I think that once we can begin to love and accept ourselves for who we are, we can extend that love outwards to others much more easily,” says founder and designer Tiffany Taylor Kenney. Part of the proceeds from Tulsi Project jewelry goes toward the ASPCA and Feeding America.
The Sage Lifestyle Amazonite Pendant on Ombre Sky Ribbon by Sage Machado
The tranquil color of Amazonite is celebrated for the way it inspires emotional balance and loving actions while reducing worry and fear.
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Photos: Taryn Toomey, VLTA, Satya, Prana Jewelry, The Tulsi Project, The Sage Lifestyle
The Origins of Crystal Healing
Crystal lore and the belief in crystal healing is likely as old as the human race. Although beliefs about particular stones and the power attributed to them have evolved over time and between cultures, crystal mysticism seems to be here to stay. Indeed, crystals are becoming increasingly mainstream and may even crop up at your favorite spa or natural beauty shop if they haven’t already!
Many modern proponents of crystal therapy believe that crystals are conduits of healing, allowing positive energy to reach the user while relieving the user of negative energy that may contribute to anything ranging from a passing malaise to serious illness. Most medical professionals deem crystal therapy a pseudoscience, citing that at best, crystal healing serves as a placebo to make the user feel better and at worst, a distraction from scientifically-verified medical treatment. Nonetheless, crystals continue to grow in popularity despite the skepticism of the medical community—a theme that’s repeated in the history.
From the Dawn of Time…
Although we may never have proof that the lost city of Atlantis operated machines powered by crystals (or so the myth goes), we do know that talismans and amulets have been treasured by various cultures for millennia. Beads of mammoth ivory dating back 60,000 years (circa the Upper Paleolithic Period) were discovered in present-day Russia. Some 30,000 years later, jet beads used in bracelets were left in Paleolithic gravesite.
Much later in the course of human history, the ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, emerald, and clear quartz in jewelry and grave amulets. These stones were believed to bestow protection and health to the wearer. Meanwhile, topaz and peridot were used to purge evil spirits and ward off night terrors, and green stones served to represent the heart of a deceased individual and were included in burial ceremonies. It's rumored that Cleopatra surrounding herself with rose quartz and even bathed with them as an anti-aging measure.
Crystals were also valued by the ancient Greeks. In fact, “crystal” is the Greek word for “ice.” The ancient Greeks believed that clear quartz was indefinitely frozen. “Amethyst” meant “not drunken” and was used to prevent drunkenness and hangovers. The Greeks also relied on crystals during war times. Soldiers would rub hematite on their bodies before battle as a way of connecting with Aries, the god of war.
Jade was the stone of choice in ancient China. Jade was believed to heal kidneys. Chinese emperors were sometimes even buried in jade armor. Jade was also valued by the Maoris in 18th-century New Zealand. There, jade pendants were used to represent the spirits of ancestors.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Even though the Christian church had banned amulets in 355 AD, by the time the 11th century rolled around, certain gems played important roles in church services. Sapphires, for example, were featured in ecclesiastical rings while agate was believed to make the wear more agreeable to others and more favorable in the eyes of God.
During the Renaissance, various medical treatises promoted the belief that particular precious and semi-precious stones could cure certain ailments. In medical settings, crystal therapy was often accompanied by herbal remedies.
Despite the popularity of crystal healing, skeptics were concerned that some gems were corrupted by the original sin and could be possessed by demons. In 1609, Anselmus de Boot, court physician to Rudolf II of Germany, asserted that angels (both good and bad) were present in stones. Good angels in stones would grace the possessor with well-being while bad angels in stones would persuade the wearer to believe in the stone rather than God. This spiritual concern coupled with the lack scientific proof in the healing power of stones caused crystal therapy to fall out of favor during the Enlightenment. But crystals would make a come back.
The New-Age 1980s and Beyond
In the advent of New Age spiritual practices in the 1980s, crystals emerged as an alternative healing method thanks to books by Katrina Raphaell and Melody and Michael Gienger. Presently, even though crystal healing is continually met with skepticism from the medical community, it continues to have a presence in alternative and increasingly mainstream therapies. Current crystal therapy methods include both ancient practices as well as new ones that have been “divined” or intuited by healers.
Photos: BijaMalas via Etsy, Wikimedia Commons, Catching Wildflowers via Etsy
