The name Ametrine comes from a combination of Amethyst and Citrine, which is exactly what Ametrine is. The color is the result of iron in the quartz. Ametrine colors come in bands of yellow and purple and often show and abrupt color change in the stone. This is the only stone where you can get “two” gemstones for the price of one.
There is only one basic source for Ametrine and that is the Anahi Mine in Bolivia. In the seventeenth century, this mine became famous when a Spanish conquistador received the mine as a wedding gift when he married Princess Anahi of the Ayoreos tribe. He knew the unique gemstones would find favor with the Spanish queen, and introduced Ametrine to Europe. The mine has only been commercially worked since the 1980's.
Being a member of the quartz family, it is a fairly durable gemstone. On the Moh scale, it has a hardness of 7. Ametrine is typically cut to give a 50/50 color split. It is popular among among gemstone cutters and carvers because of the color variations and play in the stone. Despite the fact that there is only one source for this beautiful gemstone, it is reasonably priced.
Ametrine is rarely enhanced, but if it is, it is enhanced by a heat treatment. Natural Ametrine only comes on purple and yellow, so if you see some blue-yellow or geen-yellow combinations being sold, be aware that they are synthetic, lab created stones.
It is believed that Ametrine helps achieve a balance between the spiritual world and the material one, and can enhance cooperation with others. It is alsosaid to help with headaches and backaches. It is also said that the purple part of the stone helps one visualize the future one wants, while the yellow part of the stone helps achieve those goals.
I don' thave any Ametrine to photograph and show you, and I couldn't find any photos to include that wouldn't violate somebody's copyright, so here is a link to page of Google Images for
No comments:
Post a Comment