Amethyst

Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral quartz.

Treasured since antiquity, amethyst used to be considered on par with gemstones such as emeralds because of amethyst’s sparkling purple colour, which is traditionally associated with royalty and high ranking clergy.

Purple was such a significant colour that, in particular times and places in history, it was prohibited to wear purple without the appropriate societal status.

In fact, amethyst is still a stone often used in the ornate rings worn by some cardinals of the Catholic Church.

Amethyst’s purple hue comes from iron (or other) impurities or irradiation that can happen through natural or artificial means.

Varying in saturation from a greyish lilac through to intense, dark, almost black purple, we love amethyst’s rich tonalities of colour and versatility in jewellery.

As a relatively hard stone (a 7 out of 10 on the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness), amethyst is a stone that is both reasonably safe to work with and to wear without damaging.

At Malki, we’re attracted to the links between the stunning purple colour of amethyst and the symbolism of luxury that pervade the history of this gemstone.