Formation amethyst, 16cm, unique 278

Height of the amethyst formation 16cm, width 18cm, weight 4.6kg

Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone that has been used as a gemstone since ancient times. It is a violet-colored quartz that is usually found in cavities in volcanic rock, also known as basalt. The amethyst itself is not a volcanic rock, but was formed later, after the basalt had cooled.

The purple color Occurs due to traces of iron in the crystal. The color is rarely uniform and most amethysts have colorless and dark zones. Even very high-quality and expensive stones often have thin layers of light to dark alternating color that run parallel to the surface.