Of all the various colors of quartz gemstones, the purple color of amethyst is the most highly prized. Folklore holds that amethyst helps in overcoming homesickness, and when worn, helps in preventing drunkenness.
At the turn of the 20th century, and up through the 1920's, the shade of amethyst most favored in jewelry was a pale lavender shade known as "rose of France". In recent times the fashion trend has been to use a deep purple colored gem.
The purple color saturation can, however, become so dense as to make the stone overly dark, causing the stone to lose brilliance. Amethyst is a hard stone, suitable for use in everyday jewelry, and its moderate price adds to its consumer appeal. In the United States the finer stones are mined in Arizona, with better quality foreign sources in Brazil, Africa and Russia.
