Quartz
Amethyst
- Mohs
- 7
- Colour
- Pale lilac through to deep purple
- Every day
- Yes
Quartz
Amethyst
The most forgiving coloured stone there is for a first commission. It cuts well, it is genuinely hard, and it comes in enough of a range that I can usually match a colour someone has in their head. Deep Uruguayan material is worth the jump in price.
The facts
- Family
- Quartz
- Hardness
- 7 on the Mohs scale
- Colour
- Pale lilac through to deep purple, sometimes with a red flash
- Where hers come from
- Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia
- What she pays
- £8 – £45 for a 6–8mm cut stone
- Everyday wear
- Yes
What will damage it
Sunlight, slowly. Amethyst fades — a ring worn every summer for ten years will be paler than the day it was set. Keep it out of a sunny window when you are not wearing it.
In a ring you wear daily
Yes