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AMETHYST
Amethyst is the birthstone for February. Lorenzo's Amethysts are found primarily in Bahia, Brazil, or in Zambia, Africa. The ancient Greeks considered Amethyst to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, with the word "amethystos" meaning "not intoxicated". Purple has long been considered a royal color, and fine Amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. |
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The story is told that Dionysus, the Greek God of wine, was insulted by a mortal one day. Enraged, he called forth vicious tigers to exact revenge on the next mortal who crossed his path. This individual was the maiden Amethyst. On her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana, she found herself face to face with the tigers of the vengeful God. To save her from the beasts, Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystalline quartz. So beautiful was the maiden that Dionysus, in sorrow and remorse, wept tears of rich wine over the statue, staining the quartz and creating the gem which still bears the maiden's name.
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