Greek Myth of Amethyst

Posted by SandyC on April 17, 2009

In summer, the cool through heart is the most desirable feeling by people. They leave behind the burden of jewelry physically, putting their eyes on the natural crystal, which transmits the tenderness and cool of water to each wearer.

Crystal, also known as “water jade”, means the jade like water. As the name suggests, it is transparent like water. Its English name “crystal” is said to derive from the Greek “KRYSTALLOS”, the original intent of which is “transparent water”. We can see crystals everywhere among those court and private collections, which illustrates people’s loving crystals. After the baptism of a long cultural life, crystal has become the pronoun of purity, harmony and tranquil state of mind. At the same time, it symbolizes “accumulation”, accumulating the essence of the universe. Perhaps when ancient gypsy used a crystal ball to predict future and fortune, they are desiring to borrow natural energy. In short, crystal is the symbol of spiritualism and ehtereality, helping inspire mind, open ideas, improve spirituality and tap potential.

People put a few ten transparent crystal beads strung together into a bunch of “chain of crystal”. It is said that this “stone with spiritualism” could drive diseases and bad fortunes, gather money and enrich beauty, instill vivo aura in you and release negative energy. Not mentioning those arguments whether there is a scientific basis, crystal always urges people to interprete it with its long formation process.

Mysterious amethyst

Amethyst is a kind of purple crystal. According to The General Introduction to Natural Things, amethyst is “colored as grape, with sweet light ”. The grape-like purple is from the slight iron oxide in the crystal.Amethyst culture

Amethyst contains the colors of lavender, purple, dark red, red, dark purple and so on. Among them, the colors of dark purple and red are the best, while the color of light purple is the most common. A species of blue-violet crystal produced in North Kerea is relatively rare.

Greek myth of amethyst

It is said that Bacchus played tricks drunk on a beautiful girl named Amethyst, pushing her to a beast. Fortunately, Goddess Diana saw everything and turned the girl into a white stone sculpture with magic lest she was hurt. Suddenly, Bacchus turned white awake, and regreted for what he had done to her, because he found himself fascinated by this white and pure sculpture deeply. Being sad, he spilled his wine on the sculpture carelessly. Then the stone turned gradually into a beautiful purple crystal. Bacchus name amethyst after the girl’s name “AMETHYST” for making up for his mistake and also commemorate the girl.

Originally amethyst represents nobleness, elegance, gorgeousness, tranquility, high-mindedness, dignifiedness and power, and the moving legend makes amethyst more romantic. In the west, amethyst is the birth stone of February, a symbol of honesty, kind-hearted, broad popularity, peace and calm luck. At the same time, Valentine’s Day is happenedly in February, so amethyst naturally becomes the gifts between lovers and the token of love, symbolizing permanent love.

In 1 century AD, the scholar Epicurus said in his masterpiece Of Naturalism, “purple gems are the eyes of Venus”. In the west, amethyst stones are notonly decorated on man’s jewelry and apparel as a stone of sobering up, but also the lucky gems for those artists with a special favor. Ancient Romans used to engage in the ceremony of sin cleansing and memorial in February. Amethyst was a symbol of forbidding smuttiness, preventing self-satisfaction, maintaining honesty and reason, so it is mounted on the rings of bishops and priests.

According to history, Spanish palace painter Vilas was an outstanding artist who was fond of Greek myth and had a special love to amethyst. He won the king’s trust and favor with the spirit and warning endowed by amethyst in the palace full of temptation of Philip IV, depending on his own extraordinary talent and hard-working. In his old age, he himself designed a gem laurel with the theme of “abundance”, on the gold base dotted with the leaves of emerald stones and the main stone is a carved grape of amethyst…the laurel is at the Vienna Art History Museum collections. Amethyst is the memorial for the 17th anniversary of marriage, because the feeling between couples is easily cracked with heavy burden of life. The purpose of amethyst jewelry gift is to remind each other: to be especially vigilant against “the temptation of the Devil.” In Asia, unparalleled elegant purple is a symbol of Japan’s royal dignity; in Europe and America, Amethyst, 20-year-old birthday Memory gemstones; in addition, the amethyst is the national stone of Uruguay.