The name of this beautiful gemstone comes from the ancient Greek word "a-methystos", meaning 'not intoxicated' - referring to the belief that the gemstone would protect the owner from drunkeness.  Amethyst is the most precious gemstone within the quartz group. It ranges from deep reddish purple to a blue lilac colour. Quartz varieties are commonly separated into two groups based on the size of the individual grains or crystals; macrocrystalline quartz in which individual crystals are distinguishable with the naked eye, and cryptocrystalline quartz in which the individual crystals are too small to be easily distinguishable under the light microscope. The amethyst is a macrocrystalline quartz. It is usually found in geodes of volcanic rocks. It has a hardness score of 7 on the Mohs Scale and a specific gravity of between 2.65 and 2.66. Because of this it is very good for  designers to include with their amtheyst jewellry designs as it doesn't scratch or break easily.