Quartz · SiO₂ · 7

Amethyst

Amethyst is purple quartz. A trace of iron, switched on by natural radiation in the rock over millions of years, makes the colour. It grows as crystal points lining hollow geodes in old lava flows, some big enough to stand inside. It is plentiful and cheap; lab amethyst is also grown, and the two are very hard to tell apart.

From the ground to your hand

The same stone at four moments. Tap a photo of a listing to see it on Amazon.

01 In the ground (step 1 of 4)

Raw amethyst crystals as they grow, packed points lining the inside of a geode.

Real specimen. Photo: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
02 Raw specimen (step 2 of 4)

A natural amethyst geode cluster, about 1 lb, as sold to collectors.

Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon
03 Cut (step 3 of 4)

Natural amethyst, 10 mm round brilliant cut.

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04 Set (step 4 of 4)

A natural amethyst solitaire ring.

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Mineral: Quartz
Colour from: Iron plus natural radiation
Hardness: 7, fine for rings
Grown in labs since: 1970s (hydrothermal)
Famous sources: Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia

The Empress of Uruguay, one of the largest amethyst geodes ever found, taller than a person. Photo: Curiousparrot532, CC0.

Inside an amethyst geode from Brazil, with a calcite crystal growing on the amethyst. Photo: Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, CC BY 4.0.

Famous amethyst in museums

What the finest natural stones look like: real pieces in public collections. The whole gem museum.

The Empress of Uruguay: About 3.3 metres tall and 2.5 tonnes, often called the largest amethyst geode on show anywhere. — **The Empress of Uruguay**About 3.3 metres tall and 2.5 tonnes, often called the largest amethyst geode on show anywhere.The Crystal Caves, Atherton, AustraliaA single gas bubble in an ancient lava flow in Uruguay, lined with amethyst, then cut open and shipped across the world.Photo: Curiousparrot532, CC0.

**The Empress of Uruguay**About 3.3 metres tall and 2.5 tonnes, often called the largest amethyst geode on show anywhere.The Crystal Caves, Atherton, AustraliaA single gas bubble in an ancient lava flow in Uruguay, lined with amethyst, then cut open and shipped across the world.Photo: Curiousparrot532, CC0.

An amethyst scarab on amethyst beads: An amethyst scarab strung with amethyst ball beads, Egyptian Middle Kingdom, about 2000 to 1700 BCE. — **An amethyst scarab on amethyst beads**An amethyst scarab strung with amethyst ball beads, Egyptian Middle Kingdom, about 2000 to 1700 BCE.Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, LondonMiddle Kingdom Egypt mined amethyst in the desert at Wadi el-Hudi, and for a few centuries it was the fashionable stone.Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0.

**An amethyst scarab on amethyst beads**An amethyst scarab strung with amethyst ball beads, Egyptian Middle Kingdom, about 2000 to 1700 BCE.Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, LondonMiddle Kingdom Egypt mined amethyst in the desert at Wadi el-Hudi, and for a few centuries it was the fashionable stone.Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0.

An amethyst and gold pendant: A carved amethyst head on a gold mount, about 700 BCE, Egypt, Dynasty 25. — **An amethyst and gold pendant**A carved amethyst head on a gold mount, about 700 BCE, Egypt, Dynasty 25.Cleveland Museum of ArtFrom the era when kings from Kush, in present-day Sudan, ruled Egypt.Photo: Daderot, CC0.

**An amethyst and gold pendant**A carved amethyst head on a gold mount, about 700 BCE, Egypt, Dynasty 25.Cleveland Museum of ArtFrom the era when kings from Kush, in present-day Sudan, ruled Egypt.Photo: Daderot, CC0.

A Roman amethyst intaglio: A portrait of a man carved into amethyst, Roman. — **A Roman amethyst intaglio**A portrait of a man carved into amethyst, Roman.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkAn intaglio is cut in reverse into the stone, so pressed into wax it prints the portrait. The Greek name amethystos means not drunk: the stone was thought to protect against drunkenness.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

**A Roman amethyst intaglio**A portrait of a man carved into amethyst, Roman.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkAn intaglio is cut in reverse into the stone, so pressed into wax it prints the portrait. The Greek name amethystos means not drunk: the stone was thought to protect against drunkenness.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

Emperor Constantius II in amethyst: An amethyst intaglio portrait of the Roman emperor in a jewelled headband, about 360 CE, set in gold. — **Emperor Constantius II in amethyst**An amethyst intaglio portrait of the Roman emperor in a jewelled headband, about 360 CE, set in gold.British Museum, LondonImperial portraits in purple stone: purple was the colour of emperors.Photo: Vassil, CC0.

**Emperor Constantius II in amethyst**An amethyst intaglio portrait of the Roman emperor in a jewelled headband, about 360 CE, set in gold.British Museum, LondonImperial portraits in purple stone: purple was the colour of emperors.Photo: Vassil, CC0.

An amethyst scarab necklace: An uninscribed amethyst scarab at the centre of a string of amethyst ball beads, Middle Kingdom Egypt (about 2000 to 1700 BC). — **An amethyst scarab necklace**An uninscribed amethyst scarab at the centre of a string of amethyst ball beads, Middle Kingdom Egypt (about 2000 to 1700 BC).Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, LondonEgypt’s Middle Kingdom loved amethyst: it was mined in the desert at Wadi el-Hudi, far to the south.Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Roman amethyst cameo of a woman: A head of a woman carved in relief from amethyst, Roman, about the 1st century AD. — **A Roman amethyst cameo of a woman**A head of a woman carved in relief from amethyst, Roman, about the 1st century AD.Cleveland Museum of ArtCameo carvers used the stone’s own colour bands: the lighter purple of the face stands out from the darker ground.Photo: Madreiling, CC0.

A bishop’s amethyst ring: A pastoral ring of gilt bronze set with a large amethyst, 15th century. — **A bishop’s amethyst ring**A pastoral ring of gilt bronze set with a large amethyst, 15th century.Musée de Cluny, ParisAmethyst became the stone of bishops in medieval Europe. Its name comes from the Greek for "not drunk", and it stood for sobriety.Photo: Jastrow, Public domain.

Lalique’s cockerel diadem: A diadem of gold, enamel, horn and amethyst made by René Lalique in 1897 to 1898. — **Lalique’s cockerel diadem**A diadem of gold, enamel, horn and amethyst made by René Lalique in 1897 to 1898.Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, LisbonLalique made jewellery look like nature caught in motion. Here a cockerel’s head holds a large amethyst in its beak.Photo: Antonio, CC BY-SA 2.0.

An amethyst ball pendant: A pendant set with a polished ball of amethyst in a gold mount. — **An amethyst ball pendant**A pendant set with a polished ball of amethyst in a gold mount.Smithsonian American Art Museum, WashingtonA polished sphere shows amethyst’s colour zoning: the purple often deepens toward one side of the crystal.Photo: Sonoet2, CC0.

A revival bracelet with an amethyst boss: A gold bracelet in an ancient revival style, centred on a large amethyst, France, about 1865. — **A revival bracelet with an amethyst boss**A gold bracelet in an ancient revival style, centred on a large amethyst, France, about 1865.Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New YorkIn the 1860s, new finds from Etruscan and Roman tombs set off a fashion for jewellery in the ancient style.Photo: Fæ, Public domain.

A giant amethyst geode: A geode from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, taller than a person, lined with amethyst and a few calcite crystals. — **A giant amethyst geode**A geode from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, taller than a person, lined with amethyst and a few calcite crystals.Natural History Museum, Schleusingen, GermanyIt formed inside a gas bubble in an ancient lava flow. Water seeped in over a very long time and left the crystals behind.Photo: FerdiBf at de.wikipedia, Public domain.

**A giant amethyst geode**A geode from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, taller than a person, lined with amethyst and a few calcite crystals.Natural History Museum, Schleusingen, GermanyIt formed inside a gas bubble in an ancient lava flow. Water seeped in over a very long time and left the crystals behind.Photo: FerdiBf at de.wikipedia, Public domain.

A bishop’s amethyst ring: A pastoral ring of gilt bronze set with an amethyst, 15th century. — **A bishop’s amethyst ring**A pastoral ring of gilt bronze set with an amethyst, 15th century.Musée de Cluny, ParisAmethyst was the bishop’s stone: its name means "not drunk" in Greek, a fitting sign for a sober shepherd of souls. Bishops still wear amethyst rings today.Photo: Musée de Cluny, Public domain.

**A bishop’s amethyst ring**A pastoral ring of gilt bronze set with an amethyst, 15th century.Musée de Cluny, ParisAmethyst was the bishop’s stone: its name means "not drunk" in Greek, a fitting sign for a sober shepherd of souls. Bishops still wear amethyst rings today.Photo: Musée de Cluny, Public domain.

An amethyst parure from Paris: A matching set of necklace, earrings and brooch in gold set with amethysts, made in France between 1820 and 1830. — **An amethyst parure from Paris**A matching set of necklace, earrings and brooch in gold set with amethysts, made in France between 1820 and 1830.Paris Musées collectionA parure is a full matching set. Rich women of the 1820s wore amethyst parures to balls, and the stone was as fashionable as diamonds.Photo: Public domain reproduction, CC0.

**An amethyst parure from Paris**A matching set of necklace, earrings and brooch in gold set with amethysts, made in France between 1820 and 1830.Paris Musées collectionA parure is a full matching set. Rich women of the 1820s wore amethyst parures to balls, and the stone was as fashionable as diamonds.Photo: Public domain reproduction, CC0.

A Roman amethyst cameo: The head of a woman carved in relief from amethyst, Roman, 1st century AD. — **A Roman amethyst cameo**The head of a woman carved in relief from amethyst, Roman, 1st century AD.Cleveland Museum of ArtCarving a cameo meant grinding the stone away with drills and abrasive powder, a millimetre at a time, for months.Photo: Madreiling, CC0.

An ancient amethyst reused as a seal: An amethyst intaglio carved in the 1st century BC, later set in a ring as the seal of Iohannes Pignatelli. — **An ancient amethyst reused as a seal**An amethyst intaglio carved in the 1st century BC, later set in a ring as the seal of Iohannes Pignatelli.Guy Ladrière Collection, shown at the Paris School of Jewelry ArtsAncient engraved gems were treasured in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Nobles reused them as personal seals, pressing a 1,500-year-old carving into their wax.Photo: TimeTravelRome, CC BY 2.0.

Twin amethyst geodes, 9 and 12 feet tall: A 9 ft, 11,000 lb amethyst geode, shown back to back with a second geode 12 ft tall, both from the Bolsa mine in Uruguay. — **Twin amethyst geodes, 9 and 12 feet tall**A 9 ft, 11,000 lb amethyst geode, shown back to back with a second geode 12 ft tall, both from the Bolsa mine in Uruguay.Museum of Natural History, New YorkEach one was a single gas bubble in a lava flow about 130 million years ago, lined slowly with purple crystals. Visitors can walk right up to them.Photo: Jan Schaumann, CC BY 4.0.

A Fabergé amethyst cane handle: A cane handle of polished amethyst by Fabergé, with white enamel, rose and yellow gold and a string of pearls, about 1890 to 1898. — **A Fabergé amethyst cane handle**A cane handle of polished amethyst by Fabergé, with white enamel, rose and yellow gold and a string of pearls, about 1890 to 1898.Antiques collection (Commons photograph)Fabergé made everyday objects for the Russian court, from cane handles to cigarette cases, out of hardstones and gold.Photo: Rauantiques, CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Russian amethyst brooch and earrings: A gold and amethyst brooch by A. Holmström, St Petersburg, 1857 to 1864, with amethyst and diamond earrings made between 1908 and 1917. — **A Russian amethyst brooch and earrings**A gold and amethyst brooch by A. Holmström, St Petersburg, 1857 to 1864, with amethyst and diamond earrings made between 1908 and 1917.Peterhof State Museum and the Moscow Kremlin MuseumsDeep purple Siberian amethyst from the Urals was the most prized amethyst in the world in the 1800s, and Russia’s jewellers used it lavishly.Photo: shakko, CC BY-SA 3.0.

A Tiffany pendant with a blue zircon: A pendant necklace by Tiffany & Co. with a large blue zircon in the centre, surrounded by canary and coloured diamonds, demantoid garnets and amethysts, on platinum chains with coloured pearls. — **A Tiffany pendant with a blue zircon**A pendant necklace by Tiffany & Co. with a large blue zircon in the centre, surrounded by canary and coloured diamonds, demantoid garnets and amethysts, on platinum chains with coloured pearls.Walters Art Museum, BaltimoreIt was bought as a wedding present, at a time when Louis Comfort Tiffany was pushing the firm toward bold coloured stones.Photo: Walters Art Museum, Public domain.

A bunch of amethyst grapes: A paperweight with a bunch of grapes carved in amethyst on serpentine and marble, made by the Ekaterinburg lapidary works and once owned by the Stroganov family. — **A bunch of amethyst grapes**A paperweight with a bunch of grapes carved in amethyst on serpentine and marble, made by the Ekaterinburg lapidary works and once owned by the Stroganov family.Fersman Mineralogical Museum, MoscowUral amethyst was prized for its deep purple, and Russian carvers turned it into fruit that looks good enough to eat.Photo: shakko, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Mined vs lab-grown amethyst

Mined and lab-grown amethyst are the same mineral; this is what differs
	Mined	Lab-grown
How it formed	In geodes in old lava, over millions of years	In a steel of hot, pressurised water, over weeks
Inside	Colour zones, natural	Often very clean; growth patterns only a lab reads
Treatment	Sometimes heated, which turns it yellow (citrine)	Normally none
Price	Cheap; deep, clean colour costs more	Cheap
Resale	Little, except fine large stones	Very little

Treatments. Heat turns amethyst yellow to orange, and most citrine on the market is heated amethyst. Strong sunlight can slowly fade some amethyst, so do not leave it in a sunny window. All gem treatments explained.

Where natural amethyst comes from

Pins mark mining districts, not exact mines. Drag to move, pinch or scroll to zoom, tap a pin to read about it. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

List of every place on the map (4)

Amethyst: Ametista do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A town named after the stone: amethyst geodes are mined from tunnels in old lava flows, some big enough to stand in.
Amethyst: Artigas, Uruguay. Deep purple geodes from the same lava plateau as southern Brazil.
Amethyst: Kariba district, Zambia. A leading source of dark, rich gem amethyst.
Amethyst: Four Peaks, Arizona, United States. Remote mountain mine known for deep reddish-purple amethyst.

How it is cut

Amethyst is cut every way: faceted rounds, ovals and emerald cuts, , beads and carvings. Its colour is often uneven, so a good cutter orients the stone to put the deepest purple in the middle. See cuts from easiest to hardest and whether cutting your own is cheaper than buying cut.

What to buy

Checked in stock on October 10, 2026. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

Our first pick

JIC Gem natural amethyst geode cluster, 1.1 lb

about $30

A real piece of a geode, the way amethyst actually grows.

See it on Amazon

Also good

Myhealingworld natural amethyst, 10 mm round brilliant

about $25

A calibrated faceted stone, ready for a setting.

See it on Amazon

Also good

JewelryPalace natural amethyst solitaire ring

under $20

A simple purple solitaire at a gift price.

See it on Amazon

Big cut amethyst: sizes, carats and prices

Amethyst is plentiful, so size is cheap: a 16 carat faceted amethyst costs less than a dinner out. Drawn to scale, ovals from a ring stone to a 20 x 15 mm showpiece, all sold as natural by long-running gem sellers. Lab amethyst exists too and is hard to tell from mined; at these prices either is a fair buy.

7 x 5 mm 1.45 to 1.65 ct about $10 8 x 6 mm 1.05 to 1.35 ct about $25 10 x 8 mm 2.11 to 2.38 ct about $44 12 x 10 mm 3.35 to 4.55 ct about $66 14 x 10 mm 5.16 to 6.32 ct about $77 18 x 13 mm 10.50 to 13.00 ct about $120 20 x 15 mm 15.97 to 18.48 ct about $165

Shapes drawn to scale. Tap any size to see it on Amazon.

Other cuts, including the biggest we found

Cushion, the biggest18 mm, 18 to 20 ctabout $385 on Amazon →

Cushion15 mm, 10 to 12 ctabout $215 on Amazon →

Round12 mm, 5.17 ctabout $98 on Amazon →

Pear16 x 12 mm, 7 to 8 ctabout $71 on Amazon →

Emerald cut12 x 10 mm, 4.80 to 5.25 ctabout $53 on Amazon →

Princess8 mm, 2.12 to 2.55 ctabout $26 on Amazon →

Trillion8 mm, 1.30 to 1.50 ctabout $32 on Amazon →

Rose de France (pale lilac)8 x 6 mm, weight not listedabout $22 on Amazon →

Green amethyst (prasiolite)12 x 10 mm, 5.70 ctabout $54 on Amazon →

The giants: the biggest amethyst you can buy

The heaviest and largest pieces we found on Amazon, all checked in stock on October 11, 2026. Weights and sizes are the listings' own. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

Sort

Giant piecesGAF Treasures amethyst cathedral, 103.4 lb, BrazilThe heaviest amethyst we found on Amazon: a standing geode taller than a toddler.about $1,900on Amazon →

Giant piecesGAF Treasures amethyst cathedral, 99.55 lb, BrazilIts near twin, just under a hundred pounds.about $1,800on Amazon →

Giant piecesAg Minerals amethyst geode, 65 lb, UruguayUruguay amethyst is famous for its deep purple.about $4,900on Amazon →

Giant piecesAg Minerals amethyst cathedral geode, 62 lb, BrazilA cathedral is a geode cut so it stands up like a cave.about $2,950on Amazon →

Giant piecesAg Minerals amethyst cathedral, 49 lb, Brazilabout $3,400on Amazon →

Giant piecesAmethyst cluster geode, 43.8 lb, Brazilabout $2,500on Amazon →

Giant piecesChevron amethyst sphere, 240 mm, 44.4 lbA ball almost 10 inches across, banded purple and white.about $1,400on Amazon →

Giant piecesAg Minerals amethyst tree, 17 lbHand-built from amethyst crystals.about $2,450on Amazon →

Giant piecesDinosaurs Rock amethyst geode tower with calcite, 19 in tallWhite calcite crystals growing inside the purple.about $1,600on Amazon →

Giant piecesAmethyst cathedral geode, 18.5 inabout $1,300on Amazon →

Giant piecesAmethyst cathedral geode, 15.5 inabout $1,400on Amazon →

Giant piecesEmporion Gems amethyst geode, 21.55 lb, 10 x 8 inOver 1,500 ratings on this listing: the best-reviewed big geode.about $1,150on Amazon →

Your kit for amethyst

Five tools that let you check what you bought (a loupe, a UV torch, locking tweezers, a gem box and a pocket scale), plus a turntable that spins your stone under the light the way jewellers show one. The full collector's kit.

LookGemOro 10x triplet loupeunder $20

LookDARKBEAM filtered 365 nm UV flashlightabout $10

HandleHonoson locking tweezers, 3 packabout $10

StoreTeensery gem display boxes with clear lids, 10 packabout $9

ShowComXim motorized turntable, adjustable speed and directionabout $15

MeasureGemOro Platinum XP500 pocket scale, 0.01 gabout $40

In short

Amethyst is purple quartz from geodes in old lava, mostly in Brazil, Uruguay and Zambia. It is hard enough for daily wear and cheap enough to buy big. Keep it out of strong sun, and know that a yellow "citrine" is very often heated amethyst.

See our first pick: JIC Gem natural amethyst geode cluster, 1.1 lb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lab amethyst real amethyst?

Yes. It is quartz grown in hot water in a lab, the same mineral as natural amethyst, and it is very hard to separate without a gem lab. Because natural amethyst is cheap too, most of what you buy is natural.

What is the difference between amethyst and citrine?

Both are quartz. Amethyst is purple from iron and natural radiation; heating it drives the purple out and leaves yellow to orange, which is sold as citrine. Natural citrine exists but is much rarer.

Does amethyst fade?

Some amethyst slowly fades in strong sunlight or heat. Store it out of direct sun and it keeps its colour.

Photo credits

amethyst-raw-crystals.webp: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
amethyst-empress-of-uruguay.webp: Curiousparrot532, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
amethyst-geode-planalto.webp: Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Product photos: Amazon listings, via the Amazon Product Advertising (Creators) API.

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