February Birthstone: Amethyst

Leah — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:42:06 +0000

Amethyst is the birthstone for February. It is purple, ranging from a light lavender to deep, dark violet shades. Non-purple stones called amethyst are created by treating amethyst with heat or radiation treatments. Citrine, which is yellow, is an example of a stone that can be created by heating amethyst, although the heating can also occur within the earth’s crust naturally. Ametrine is a beautiful stone that shows both purple and yellow, sometimes with some clear quartz as well.

These rough amethyst beads from Beadie and Things are a beautiful example of what amethyst looks like if left unpolished:

Rough Amethyst Crystals

To help you with your gift shopping, I’ve found a bunch of lovely jewelry made with amethyst. It’s all handmade by members of the Jewelry on Etsy Team (JET).

One of my favorite color combinations is deep purple amethyst with the bright, springy green of peridot. This necklace (left) from Designs by Victoria is a beautiful example, and would look great paired with my little dangly earrings (right):

Amethyst and Peridot Jewelry

This selection of beaded jewelry shows how versatile amethyst can be when paired with glass, other gemstones, wirework, and bead stringing:

Beaded Amethyst Jewelry

Beaded Jewelry Credits:
(1) Bracelet by Olivia’s Garden
(2) Necklace by Crystal Impressions
(3) Earrings by Malves 1009
(4) Earrings by Jewelry by Solange
(5) Necklace by Little Bug Jewelry

Faceted amethysts and amethyst cabochons also work beautifully in metal jewelry. Check out these three gorgeous examples:

Amethyst and Silver Jewelry

Credits for metal jewelry:
(1) Pendant by Capital City Crafts
(2) Stacking Ring Set by Little Bug Jewelry
(3) Ring by One Garnet Girl

To find more beautiful amethyst jewelry, search “jetteam amethyst” on etsy.com If you are looking for Valentines Day gift ideas rather than birthday gifts, check out my Valentines Day Gift Guide.

Fashion Tips from a JET

Leah — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:59:03 +0000

Silver Canyons, a friend of mine from the Jewelry on Etsy Team (JET for short) started a series of posts featuring great jewelry from each color in the Pantone collection of colors for this spring. First up is turquoise! I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the series – there are 10 colors total in the forecast, and some of them are really amazing.

Updates:
Here is #2, Tuscany
#3, Tomato Puree
#4, Violet
#5, Aurora (yellow)
#6, Dried Herb

Michon Jewelry Blog » jewelry on etsy team

February Birthstone: Amethyst

Fashion Tips from a JET