I am not gonna lie to ya. Purple has never been my favorite color. But it has grown on me. Mainly because of my work with gemstones and yoga. Purple is the supreme color in both arenas. Purple, or violet, if you want to follow the Roy G. Biv ladder, is the color of the Crown Chakra, the utmost, the Divine. Purple is the color of royalty, the idea most associated with Amethyst, a gemstone from the quartz family with large inclusions of iron and aluminum, giving it that famous purple color, and has been used in countless pieces of jewelry and relics in monarchies worldwide. Ask anyone to name a purple stone, they will undoubtedly say Amethyst. It’s also the birthstone of the month of February. Finally, it’s associated with the mystical and the magical. I think that’s why we often see unicorns backed in purple. Just a little theory of mine.
It is extremely popular in meditation and holistic health, as it is thought to bring harmony, clarity, serenity and peace, all ideas to promote equanimity, needed not only to keep your temple body holy, but to shape a healthy mind, one that can rule a much larger kingdom. Or Queendom. It’s been around for about 4,000 years. It’s often found in volcanic regions, but not exclusively. Deposits have been found in Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Africa, Europe, the USA, and good ole Russia, my favorite. Interestingly, particularly valuable deposits are found in the Ural Mountains, near Ekaterinburg, the town where the last Tsar and family were butchered and entombed, a little nugget of gem history irony. This rare variety is called Siberian Amethyst and has flashes of blue that would go great with Catherine the Great’s beloved Lapis Lazuli.
This powerfully protective stone is thought to bring a sense of command and control over one’s extreme emotions and tendencies, whether they be anger, angst, addiction or apathy. Greeks believed that it could prevent intoxication and relieve frustrated passion. It’s associated with the purple in Bacchus’ wine. Whatever the negative emotion, the stone promotes positive and strong, healthy brain function. In today’s society, it is thought to dispel the need for drugs and is useful in helping to quit smoking or abstain from narcotics. It is also a strong aid in combating emotional trauma and can help the bearer from submitting to a victim mentality.
And while it is associated with the utmost Chakra, it helps one get to the root causes of bad habits, negative behavior, controlling thought patterns, and making bad decisions. It can guide you to a clearer, higher understanding and consciousness. Its element is wind and its power so strong one is advised to cleanse it from time to time by holding it under cool running water.
Lately I’ve been working with a banded variety, called Chevron Amethyst, also known as Dog’s Tooth Amethyst. It’s known to boost the immune system. I love banded stones, Chevron’s bands are V-shaped, as they generally include a wide array of tones and ranges, lending distinctive lines and colors that remind me of Jupiter and Saturn. Chevron purple has lots of white from the White Quartz and lighter tones of violet and lavender up against darker purple shades. White is another color associated with the Crown Chakra, white being the presence of all colors. I enjoy pairing it with other stones, whether complementing its colors or its powers. Lapis is also a stone of royalty and results in a very powerful combination (oh that I could find some Siberian Amethyst!). Garnet is a favorite to mix aesthetically with Amethyst. The rich yet cool tones of the reds, purples and violets fit like a glove in my mind. I am sure Bacchus would approve, as garnet comes from the Latin word granatum, which means pomegranate, a nice complement to the grape.
Finally, purple is one of my high school colors. (Gold is the other). It takes me back. I recently learned that Amethyst’s sister stone is citrine, also of the quartz family, and, interestingly, gold. Maybe whoever picked our school colors back in the day knew that these colors mingle in nature. Even though I would have preferred orange with that gold, I’ll settle for purple.