Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they, the amethyst will wear.
-from the Gregorian Calendar
The traditional birthstone for the month of February is the beautiful violet amethyst. This gemstone is a form of quartz, which gains its marvelous coloring from iron and aluminum impurities. Amethyst has been valued for the gorgeous purple color for centuries.
In Ancient Greece, the legend of the amethyst origins was attributed to Dionysus, the god of ecstasy, wine, and theatre. There are many different versions of the tale, but most involve a chaste young maiden who could not repel the advances of the randy deity. The hunter goddess, Artemis, helps the girl by transforming her into a white stone. Wine stains from a grief stricken Dionysus turn Amethystos from white to purple.
It is believed that amethysts have the power to protect the wearer from excesses, such as intoxication and other forms of temptation. The Greeks often made wine goblets and ewers from amethyst in the hope that it would reduce the potency of wine. It has also been used to protect from snakes, locusts and insect bites. The amethyst is a symbol of friendship, purity, and good health.
Most amethysts of gem quality are mined in South America and Madagascar. There are also man-made amethysts, which are created in laboratory settings and are very close in quality to nature’s version. Faux glass amethyst rhinestones and beads are manufactured by Swarovski, as well as other bead makers and glass artists.
In honor of February’s birthstone, here is a selection of wonderfully purple creations from the Oh Canada Team. To see even more handmade items in your favorite colors, add the tag “OhCanadaTeam” to your searches on Etsy.com.
Featured Shops:
Tres Belle Knits, Karisma Fine Jewellery, Dee's Adornments, bstudio
Barefoot Tams, A Lil' Horse Play, Woodsmoke Woolworks, Wabi Brook Studio
Stay Awake, Splurge, Genevieve Jodouin, deersprite
Les Bijoux Crealune, Gracie Jewellery, Sassmowth Designs, A Little Bit of Pretty
Created using the Etsy Poster Sketch Tool
Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team Blog and Etsy.com
Proudly Canadian?
Support Handmade!
Grab This Button!
Posts
8 comments:
Thanks for including one of nmy necklaces!
I love this collection! Thank you for including my earrings with such talent from across Canada.
Gorgeous purples! Thank you for including my fingerless mitts!
wow, thanks for including my earrings. What a pretty group.
Thank you so much for including my little monster! :)
Awww, we Canadians are so talented! :) I love everything!
Kat
I agree with everyone, this is a very pretty group. Thanks for including my floral brooch!
Thank you so much for including my earrings! Purple has always been my favourite colour. :-D
I'm honoured to have my pendant included in this lovely Canadian-made collection. Great post!
Post a Comment