Happy Birthday, February! The February birthstone is the amethyst.
The word comes from the Greek “amethystos”, meaning sober. In ancient Greece, the amethyst was associated with the god of wine.
It is a member of the quartz family, and occurs naturally as crystals within rocks. Amethyst is found all around the world in places like Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Madagascar, Russia, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
Once considered more valuable than diamonds, the February birthstone is recognized by its trademark purple color. It has been a favorite of monarchs throughout history. As purple dye was once scarce and expensive, the color purple has long been associated with royalty, and this made the stone’s beautiful violet shades appealing to kings and queens as far back as the ninth century!
