mineral
Amethyst
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness of 7 on Mohs scale, purple to violet color, vitreous luster, hexagonal crystal system, and no cleavage.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on Mohs scale, purple to violet color, vitreous luster, hexagonal crystal system, and no cleavage.
Formation & geological history
Forms in hydrothermal veins and gas cavities within volcanic rocks as trace iron impurities are irradiated over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Widely used in jewelry, ornamental carvings, and as a popular mineral specimen for collectors.
Geological facts
Its purple color comes from natural irradiation of iron-bearing quartz, and it was once considered as valuable as a diamond.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its distinctive purple color and conchoidal fracture, commonly found in Brazil, Uruguay, and Zambia.
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Other mineral specimens
Gneiss or Schist
Gneiss or Mica Schist with Garnet
Metamorphic
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Tumbled granite
Granite, a coarse-grained felsic intrusive igneous rock
igneous
Pegmatite with Tourmaline and Quartz
Igneous Pegmatite
igneous
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous