As we enter February, love is in the air, and there’s much to love about the traditional birthstone for this month: Amethyst. It is a durable gemstone with a hardness rating of 7 on the Mohs scale and is suitable for everyday wear. It is often used in jewelry, carvings, and religious objects. Amethyst is a variety of quartz that comes in shades of purple and owes its hue to iron impurities and irradiation. While generally affordable today, it is still deemed the most highly valued variety of quartz. Gem-quality amethyst used to be considered just as valuable as rubies and it remained an expensive stone, reserved only for the wealthy, right up until huge deposits were found in South America in the 1800s.  In ancient times, amethyst was considered to be a powerful and valuable gemstone, and was often used in royal jewelry, crowns, and other regal adornments. Amethyst is sacred to Buddhists, and is often used as a material for prayer beads.

The name “amethyst” comes from the Greek word “amethystos,” which means “not drunken.” It was believed that the stone had the power to ward off drunkenness. In medieval times, the amethyst was believed to have the power to protect against evil thoughts and make the wearer quick-witted and strong. To this day it is considered a symbol of peace, stability, and tranquility.

The largest amethyst deposit in the world is located in Artigas, Uruguay, and the stone has been found in locations such as Brazil, Zambia, Russia, Madagascar and Siberia. Ultra-large geodes have come out of Uruguay, some up to 10,000 lbs and over 22 feet tall thanks to favorable growing conditions including 120-million-year-old basalt flows and mineral-rich groundwater. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest amethyst weighs in at 28,660 lbs. One unique amethyst geode is even in the shape of a heart – very fitting for the month it’s known for!

But wait, there’s more. While amethyst is the traditional birthstone of February, Jasper is the mystical birthstone.

Jasper is an opaque variety of Chalcedony, and is usually found in unique multicolored patterns of brown, yellow, or reddish colors, but may also be dark or mottled green, orange, and black. The patterns can be spots, rings, stripes or mottled and often resemble landscapes and beautiful abstracts. It is cut and polished into cabochons and used as beads for necklaces and bracelets.

Jasper is said to be related to courage and wisdom, beneficial for nurturing strength and stability, and it’s a beautiful, earthy stone. Jasper is common and found worldwide. Important deposits exist in India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Egypt, Madagascar, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay and the United States (Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, and Texas).