Dionysus, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today.
Amethyst is a variety of quartz which occurs in a transparent light to dark purple.
It has long been treasured by kings and queens as well as high figures in religious sects because of its rich, royal color. They were a favorite medium for Art Nouveau craftsmen and are still favorites of creative modern jewelry designers. A major reason for their popularity in jewelry design has been their wide availability and reasonable price. Fine pieces are attainable with not much difficulty and lent themselves to freedom of design.