Quartz, the most abundant mineral, is also one of the most diverse minerals known. It's found in a rainbow of colors, and ranges from shimmering transparency to impenetrable opacity. Rock crystal, amethyst, and rose quartz are the most familiar varieties of quartz.
Like many minerals, quartz is colorless in its pure state. Colorless quartz is often called rock crystal, or crystal, and it is the substance from which crystal balls are made. (If you're buying a crystal ball today, however, be advised that it is most likely made from plastic or glass.)
Crystal gets its name from the Greek word for ice, as they believed it was water frozen so hard that it could never be thawed.
Those who attribute mystical properties to gemstones believe that crystal symbolizes the spirit of human beings. They use it extensively in healing and magic rituals. Placing a quartz crystal under your pillow is said to provide a good night's sleep, as well as aid in getting answers to psychic questions via dreams. Quartz crystals are also worn to relieve headaches.
Trace amounts of iron and manganese in clear quartz produce amethyst, with all its glorious shades of purple. Color in amethyst ranges from pale lavender shades known as Rose de France to the rich reddish-purple hues of Siberian amethyst.
Amethyst is rich in folklore, particularly regarding the source of its color. Legends speak of the wine god Bacchus, who, when annoyed one evening, threatened to turn his tigers loose upon the next mortal he saw. Minutes later, the lovely Greek maiden, Amethyst, whose name means "not drunken," passed by on her way to worship at the shrine of Diana. To protect Amethyst, Diana turned her into a pure white stone. A remorseful Bacchus poured wine over the stone, staining it purple.
Many believed this gave amethyst the power to protect its wearers from intoxication, and they drank their wine from goblets made of amethyst. One cynical historian suspects that the purple color of the goblets simply disguised the fact that servants watered down the wine.
Those who attribute powers to gemstones believe that wearing amethyst lifts the spirits and makes the wearer calm and at peace. It also increases courage and good judgment. Placing amethyst under a pillow banishes nightmares and improves memory. Amethyst is rare among gemstones in that no negative powers are associated with it, giving it the
