Amethyst

The essence of the color purple, amethyst is beautiful enough for crown jewels yet affordable enough for class rings.

See Gem As

Tools

Buyer's Guide

Amethyst’s major attribute is its rich velvety purple or reddish purple hue. Gems that display this color evenly—with no visible color zoning when viewed from above—are highly prized.

FIND A JEWELER

Use your zip code to find a jeweler near you with GIA reports and GIA-trained staff.

FIND A REPORT

Verify the information on your report matches what is archived in the GIA report database.

What To Look For

COLOR
The finest amethyst color is a strong reddish purple or purple, with no brownish or bronze-colored tints, or any noticeable color zoning when you look at the stone from the top. If the stone becomes too dark in tone, it might look black under dim lighting.

CLARITY
Much of the faceted amethyst in the market is “eye clean,” meaning it lacks eye-visible inclusions. Gem professionals overlook minor inclusions when the gem is richly colored and otherwise high quality. Often this material is used for cabochons or carvings. Visible inclusions in pale pastel-colored gems reduce their value greatly.

CUT
Amethyst is available in a wide variety of fancy shapes, including custom cuts. Most cutting styles are calibrated in standard millimeter sizes for use in mass-market jewelry.

CARAT WEIGHT
Amethyst in large sizes is not priced significantly more per carat than smaller sizes, making it a good choice for bold jewelry designs. Unlike some colored gems, small sizes can be strongly colored, making it easier to match sets of differently sized gems.

AMETHYST QUALITY FACTORS: THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

READ ARTICLE

TIPS & ADVICE

1. Understand the difference that color makes.
Look at different colors of amethyst side by side to understand the range of qualities available.
Pale colors are more affordable than strong reddish purple tones.

2. Don’t compromise on cut.
The quality of the cut can make a big difference in beauty and brilliance. Your amethyst should
sparkle in a lively way, reflecting light back evenly across the entire gem. Poorly cut gems are
much less marketable and sell at a discount.

3. Work with a jeweler you trust.
If it’s important to you that you are purchasing a natural amethyst, make sure you choose a
jeweler who has gemological knowledge and is experienced with this gem.

4. When in doubt, get a lab report.
For a significant purchase an independent laboratory report can confirm that the amethyst you
are buying is natural.

VIEW SAMPLE REPORT

ABOUT IDENTIFICATION REPORT ANALYSIS & GRADING

Questions & Answers

Q
アメシストがどこで採掘されたかは重要ですか？
A
宝石商は、シベリア産やザンビア産のアメシストはブラジル産のものよりも色が優れていることを期待するかもしれませんが、原産地それ自体によってアメシストの価値が増すことはありません。価値は品質に基づくものであり、原産国に関係なく色が最も重要な価値要因です。
Q
GIAはアメシストのレポートを提供していますか。
A
GIAはアメシストに関する色付き宝石の鑑別レポートを提供しますが、ほとんどのアメシストの価値とレポートのコストを比較した場合、鑑別レポートがまれであることを意味します。
Q
AAA品質のアメシストとは何ですか？
A
個々の企業が商品の品質の範囲を表すためにAAA、AA、Aのように、独自の品質記号を作成することがありますが、統一された品質分類基準はアメシストには存在しません。
Q
婚約指輪にアメシストを使っても良いですか？
A
アメシストは日常身につけるのに適していますが、モース硬度が7ということで、年が経てば摩耗し再研磨が必要となる場合があります。今日では習慣にとらわれず、婚約指輪としてダイヤモンドではなく誕生石や他のカラー宝石が好まれています。それは個人的な選択です。