Amethysts' Amazing Purple Reign

February is a month for love. It’s a time to look at your partner, or that person who makes you smile and make your move – it’s a time to show them that you care. If there isn’t anyone at the moment, then it’s time to show yourself that you care, after all, there is nobody more beautiful and deserving than you are.

Celebrate this month with this month’s birthstone, the amethyst gemstone. The amethyst is typically a shade of purple and is most often associated with security, wisdom, spirituality and sobriety. Amethyst is a calming stone that purifies auras of negativity, creating a protective shield. It is also renowned for enhancing passion and creativity, while promoting peace, balance and patience. The amethyst gemstone name has an interesting origin, being a Greek word that roughly means “not drunken.” So if you feel that a clear head is the best way to approach your February, then the amethyst has your back.

The amethyst is sensitive to heat, and when it reaches high temperatures, it can change from a beautiful shade of purple into something less attractive, a brownish-yellow or red. Keep in mind that this transformation only occurs under high temperatures, when things get really heated. Sound familiar? It’s no wonder then that the purple, natural shade of the amethyst was used in the Middle Ages as a medication, a stone that was believed to sharpen intellect and perk the mind in a similar manner to coffee in the modern world.

The amethyst is a stone of many shades and purposes. Worn by none other than Cleopatra in ancient Egypt, it is also the stone of Saint Valentine. These are no small figures in the context of the world as we know it, and especially for this month, February, the month of love. It is said that Saint Valentine wore an amethyst with his assistant Cupid engraved into the stone, a sign of the power this stone has to bring peace and spread the word of love to all who are lucky enough to be touched by the power of this gemstone.

So this February, think of all those who came before and think of the positive impact this beautiful stone has had on the world throughout history, and remember to be good to those around you. Be kind to yourself, and spread the word of love and peace as far and wide as you can.

Stay fly, love bugs.