Quick answer: amethyst lost its precious-gem status because of supply, not because it got any less beautiful. It was once one of the five “cardinal gems,” alongside diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald, and GIA says it was once as rare as ruby or emerald. Then enormous deposits were found in South America in the 1800s, Brazil above all, and amethyst became abundant and affordable. Fine, deep-colored stones are still valued; ordinary amethyst simply stopped being scarce.
When amethyst was a king’s stone
For most of recorded history, deep purple was the color of power. EarthDate notes that purple dye from murex sea snails was so costly that purple became a royal color, and amethyst carried that prestige. Egyptians used amethyst from Nubia as early as 3100 BC, and an amethyst bracelet was found among Tutankhamun’s treasures. Cleopatra is said to have worn an amethyst ring (Perez), and Catherine the Great of Russia (1729–1796) wore amethyst necklaces and earrings (GIA). Russia, especially the Ural Mountains, was the main source until the 19th century.
Some historians think amethyst was at one point the most valuable of the cardinal gems. Jewelry historian Katerina Perez writes that before the South American finds it was valued on a level with diamond.
What happened in the 1800s
1. Brazil
Large 19th-century discoveries in Brazil, including Rio Grande do Sul, made amethyst plentiful (GIA, EarthDate). A gem that had been effectively rationed by geography suddenly arrived by the crate. Brazil is still the largest producer today.
2. Diamonds got cheaper too
Perez points to the South African diamond discoveries of 1867, which made diamonds more available and shifted fashion toward white stones.
3. Electric light and changing taste
Perez also notes that under electric lighting, colorful jewels began to look gaudy to fashionable eyes, and that Art Deco’s rejection of Victorian and Edwardian styles pushed colored gems further out of favor in the early 20th century.
4. Purple itself got cheap
The synthetic purple dye EarthDate mentions lowered the cost of purple cloth, chipping away at the color’s exclusivity. And since the 1970s synthetic amethyst has existed (GIA), adding still more supply.
What still commands a premium
- Deep, even color. The old trade name “Siberian” still signals the darkest, richest purple with red and blue flashes, and Perez notes that large deep-purple Russian stones remain the most prized.
- Notable localities. Arizona’s Four Peaks mine (dark purple to purplish red) and Zambia’s Kariba mine are well known (GIA). Brandberg, Namibia, is famous among collectors for smoky and phantom amethyst; see our Brandberg Amethyst Crystal Cluster — Tafelkop, Namibia and Brandberg Amethyst Point Parcel — Namibia, 20 Natural Points.
- Provenance and history. A Roman amethyst ring from around the late 1st century BC sold for $1.6 million at Christie’s New York in 2019, per Perez. That price is about history, not the stone’s rarity.
- Specimens. Mineral collectors pay for crystal form, color zoning, and associations, like the iron-oxide inclusions in our Hematite Included Amethyst Cluster Set — 4 Natural Specimens, independent of gem prices.
Is amethyst a good thing to buy now?
For enjoyment, yes: amethyst offers royal-level color at an everyday price, which is a historical bargain. As an investment, ordinary amethyst is not a store of value. Also keep it out of strong sun, because some amethyst fades with prolonged exposure to light (GIA; see Why Amethyst Fades in Sunlight).
Quick FAQ
Was amethyst ever more valuable than diamond?
Historians describe it as a cardinal gem on par with diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald, and some think it may have been the most valuable of them before the 19th-century Brazilian finds.
Why is amethyst cheap now?
Huge deposits discovered in South America, especially Brazil, in the 1800s made it abundant. Demand for colored stones also fell as fashion shifted toward diamonds and white jewelry.
What kind of amethyst is most valuable?
Deep, evenly saturated purple with red and blue flashes, in larger clean stones, or specimens with notable locality and history.
Sources
- GIA: February Birthstone — Amethyst
- EarthDate (UT Austin Bureau of Economic Geology): Amethyst
- Katerina Perez: Amethysts — The Rise and Fall, and Rise Again
