Amethyst is readily available from Africa, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia and the United States. It is relatively hard, with a score of seven on the Mohs scale of hardness in stones.
In terms of healing properties, amethyst is a popular purifying crystal, warding off negative influences and protecting the wearer from environmental stresses. Amethyst calms the nervous system, eases headaches and enhances spiritual awareness.
It can be carried to calm mental stress, or placed under your pillow to improve sleep.
Amethyst goes very well with darker natural materials, such as bone, horn or wood. One of my favorite pieces was a bracelet made with amethyst rounds and dark brown bone heishe. Purple goes very well with silver, too, so sterling silver makes an excellent choice for clasps and findings in a piece made with amethyst. One of my most popular bracelets combined dark amethyst ovals with dark purple Swarovski crystals and sterling silver accents. I don’t typically make the same piece over again, but that one sold so well that I reproduced it several times.
Amethyst is a beautiful and versatile stone and because it is readily available, does not cost as much as other semiprecious stones.