Amethysts shine out in any corner and beautify your house effortlessly. Surprisingly, you can find these precious stones around you.
We will reveal how to find Amethyst in your backyard in detail right there.
Let’s follow our post to discover!
Table of Contents
What Is Amethyst?
Amethyst is a gemstone made of crystalline quartz. It can be lilac or reddish-purple. The stone’s distinctive features and rating standard are its deep purple color.
Here is some basic information about this gemstone:
- Origin: Brazil
- Colors: Pale lilac to deep reddish-purple
- Streak: Colorless
- Refractive Index: 1.544 to 1.553
- Hardness: 7
- Wearability: Excellent
- Specific Gravity: 2.651
- Birefringence: 0.009
- Dispersion: 0.013
- Typical Treatments: Heat
- Formula: SiO2
Varieties
Amethyst comes in different forms, each with a distinctive shade of color.
The two most common ones are lavender (with lighter color) and Canadian Amethyst (with a red layer to make the color more vivid).
Whether made of artificial or natural Amethyst, gemstones look stunning.
Every type can benefit from the magnificent purple color of the gem, which can fit practically any metal.
Meaning
Many people relate the stone to the crown chakras and the third eye. Its color represents peace, purification, and calming energy.
Some cultures even see this stone as a divine and spiritual connection as well as healing in some cultures.
Price
Amethyst used to be as precious as Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond.
However, as people have found significant amounts of this gem in numerous locations around the world, its value and nomenclature have decreased.
How To Find Amethyst In Your Backyard?
These stones can be present in your backyard and hide in quartz. You may get the gems after breaking their quartz cases with some tools.
Can you find the Amethyst in the backyard?
Yes, you can, but not all places have these gorgeous purple gems. If you live in Maine, North Carolina, Colorado, or Arizona, there will be more chances of crossing the stones.
Amethysts can also be available in places near streams, rivers, rock geodes, and creeks. Try your luck to find the gems if you live in such areas.
What rock is an amethyst found in?
Quartz in Metamorphic and Igneous rocks appears to be the best place for natural Amethysts to hide. Aim for them, and you can yield an excellent outcome.
There are lots of quartz stone geodes with empty interiors. When the rock geodes break down, you will find the Amethyst inside their hollow bodies.
Since the stones stay in other stones’ bodies, they don’t contact the environment, giving a crystal-clear appearance. With such an impressive look, they can make beautiful jewelry.
Please note that although synthetic Amethyst has the same appearance and feels like a genuine one, its value is different.
The worth of naturally occurring gemstones surpasses that of synthetic products.
Necessary tools to find
So you live in a region where there may be stones and notice some Metamorphic and Igneous rocks in your backyard.
They can be the gems that you are looking for. Let’s grab some tools to get them.
- Pickaxe tool
The hand tool has a T shape and can work on the rocks. You can take advantage of the sharp head and thin carve to remove dirt on the rocks.
- Shovel
A shove is good at removing dust or additional layers. Its sharp blade and mid-handle grip will help a lot with your treasure hunt.
- Tweezers
Tweezers are tools used to extract small objects from surfaces that your fingers or hands can’t do.
Therefore, you can use the tweezers to retrieve the jewels from the soil’s depths.
- Classifier
You’ll probably need a classifier to remove the smaller gemstone fragments from the large stones and useless flotsam or jetsam.
To avoid losing any potentially little but valuable pieces, just make sure to filter the stones over a can or a box.
So you have the stones, but what should you do with them?
You have to clean the jewels first, before anything else. If you don’t give them a nice treat, you can’t determine the type of gem you have discovered, so wipe all the dust, muck, or soil from them.
Then, identify the gems to find out the sorts of gemstones and their traits. You need to determine their value no matter what you use the stones for.
What Are the Traits of Amethyst?
Amethyst is a precious stone. We define its value by examining its color, hardness, and brightness.
Color
The first trait that draws your attention to this gem is its stunning purple color. It should be no surprise that people use these gems to decorate their homes.
The gems can be even more attractive since they can change color based on the dispersion of the light.
Hardness
Geologists use Mohs Hardness Scale to identify a material’s hardness.
With a hardness rating of 7, Amethyst is hard, durable, and strong. Only a few things can break it.
Brightness
Long-term exposure to heat and ultraviolet radiation might cause them to reduce their brightness. Therefore, you may also want to keep your gemstone away from such heat sources.
How To Value Amethysts?
Once you’ve found any Amethyst, check to see how valuable it is. We use four Cs to determine its value:
- Color: The rich purple has the highest value. Russian Amethyst is among the most costly Amethysts because of its deep color display.
- Cut: Amethyst has a higher price when found in a round shape rather than when it is found in an uneven form. These stones can serve as a jewel’s centerpiece.
- Clarity: The purity of the gem depends on its clarity; any obstacles decrease a diamond’s worth. Amethyst that is exceptionally vibrant and in perfect specimens might sell for a decent price.
Carat: The price of Amethyst also varies based on its carat weight.
What Are Amethysts Used For?
Many people assume this gemstone has many natural healing powers, such as those for the mind, heart, and spirit.
Some even say that wearing this gem helps you drink as much alcohol as possible without getting drunk.
We cannot guarantee any of these beliefs. Amethyst’s value, though, has other uses, such as:
- These compounds are piezoelectric. They can transform mechanical energy into electrical one.
As a result, people use them to make many electrical devices, including microphones and televisions.
- The stones are strong and can make jewelry like pendants, bracelets, rings, and other items.
- They have an aesthetic appeal with their attractiveness. It’s a great idea to have them in your home for decoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you find Amethyst on the surface?
In the wild, amethyst crystals mainly develop inside amethyst geodes (small cavities coming with crystals found on the soil surface).
You can also find them on vugs, which are deep cavities generated when the rock breaks down.
2. What is the easiest gem to find?
One of the most common stones to find is quartz. Some gemstone variants of quartz include Amethyst, carnelian, agate, and citrine.
Quartz is colorless when pure, and the addition of impurities can lend quartz the vibrant colors seen in gemstones.
3. Can I find crystals in my backyard?
Yes. You can find them in the dirt, gravel, or rocky environment.
Your location will determine where you can get particular crystal varieties.
There are several locations where crystals may not typically be available, but some others have many intriguing rocks there instead.
So, it is best to do regional research to find out which crystals are most prominent there.
4. Where can Amethyst be found naturally?
You can find this gemstone in specific locations where they are common, including the Americas, the United States, and Africa, among other places.
Find them in the soil below the surface, sand, or rocks. They are also abundant in water bodies like lakes, ponds, and rivers.
You stand a better chance of collecting limestone if there is a good limestone resource in your area.
The usual places to discover Amethyst deposits are along rivers, creeks, and ocean coastlines.
Conclusion
If you research and be confident that there are Amethysts in your backyard, grab some tools and get some. The stones will bring a new look to your home for sure.
Finding gemstones is a popular hobby. If you like it, start with your property and discover the appeal of nature.