Amethyst "rose de france"from Brazil the February birthstone and the best known member of the quartz family derives its name from the Greek work meaning "not to intoxicate." Its reputed power to cure and prevent drunkenness stems from the ancient Greek myth:Amethyst ranges in color from violet to red-purple to light pink; it is often light in tone. The most valuable hues, from deep purplis red to purple-red, are known as Uralian or Siberian amethysts (these names now denote quality rather than source).
