Amethyst Buying Tips

There are not only di erent grades of amethyst, there are also fake amethysts on the market. Let’s look at some ways to tell real from fake and AA from AAAA.

Color matters.

One way to tell a genuine amethyst from a fake is by the color. A real stone will have color zoning with di erent hues. Hold the stone up to the light. If it’s a real amethyst you should see di erent shades of purple beneath the surface. Generally, the deeper the color the higher the quality.

Check the clarity.

To check a stone’s clarity, either shine a light on it or hold it up to the light and look for impurities. You shouldn’t see any bubbles or large areas of discoloration. Be careful though—sometimes what appears to be an impurity may be the presence of beneficial minerals. For example, geodes with citrine quartz are thought to increase the owner’s luck in financial matters.

Geode cavity depth.

The depth of a geode’s cavity is believed to indicate its ability to accumulate good qi or chi (life force energy). The deeper the cavity the greater the capacity for qi.

Grades of Amethyst.

There are three grades of amethyst: Natural AA, Natural AAA and Natural AAAA. The lower grades of stones are the ones typically used for carvings, beads and other types of ornamental objects. Natural AA is the largest grouping and covers 50 - 75% of amethyst on the market. The color for this grade is generally light to medium purple. The stones may be heavily to moderately “included.” Inclusions are crystal, gas or liquid particles or small fractures inside the stone. Natural AAA covers approximately 20 30% of amethyst. This grade will have fewer inclusions and will generally be darker in color than the AA. Natural AAAA is the highest grade and makes up only 10% of amethyst. Stones of this grade will be a rich dark purple and eye clean without inclusions. The most important thing to consider when selecting a stone is your intuition. How does it feel when you hold it in your hand? You should feel drawn to it. Listen to your intuition and listen to the stone.