Widely regarded as the most important and beautiful form of quartz, amethyst is a transparent, purple gemstone. The presence of manganese in quartz results in amethyst, which is the birthstone for the month of February. Paler shades of this purple formation are often referred to as Rose de France, while the darker purple colours are more valuable and often referred to as Siberian. Most yellow quartz is said to be burnt amethyst because, when exposed to heat, amethyst usually turns yellow. Amethyst can occur naturally as clusters of crystal and is mined heavily in parts of South America, Australia, and Africa. South American amethyst is usually larger than amethyst mined in Africa, but African amethyst is known for having darker colours in smaller sizes.
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