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V for violet.

Chevron, Amethyst

Quartz · SiO2Mohs 7Banded in Vs

Chevron amethyst is amethyst banded with white quartz in stacked V shapes, one of many looks the same purple quartz takes around the world. This guide covers how the chevrons form, then how amethyst changes from Uruguay to Thunder Bay.

What is chevron amethyst

Chevron amethyst is massive amethyst layered with milky or clear quartz, so a polished face shows purple and white bands that meet in points like a stack of Vs. Each V is an old crystal tip. The crystals grew point over point in a vein or cavity, the color settled in layers that followed those pointed faces, and cutting along the length of the crystals exposes the buried tips as nested chevrons. The white bands are quartz that took up little or no iron while it grew.

It is the same mineral as any amethyst: silicon dioxide colored purple by traces of iron and natural radiation, with a hardness of 7. Sellers sometimes call it dream amethyst. It is usually opaque, so it gets cut into tumbled stones, towers and palm stones rather than faceted gems. Geology In's chevron amethyst overview has more on its properties.

Chevron amethyst vs amethyst

Chevron amethyst vs regular amethyst is a difference of pattern, not mineral. Both are quartz with the same hardness and the same care. Crystal amethyst grows as points and clusters with fairly even color, while chevron amethyst is banded, mostly opaque and usually sold polished. The amethyst guide covers the mineral itself, from color to fakes.

Uruguay amethyst

Uruguay amethyst comes mostly from geodes in the Artigas region of northern Uruguay, and it is known for deep, saturated purple. The geodes formed in thick Cretaceous basalt lava flows, part of the same volcanic province that reaches into southern Brazil. Uruguayan crystals tend to be shorter and darker than Brazilian ones, often inside agate rinds. The Los Catalanes gemological district in Artigas is on the International Union of Geological Sciences list of geological heritage sites, and one of the largest amethyst geodes on display, the Empress of Uruguay, came from this country.

Brazilian amethyst

Brazilian amethyst comes largely from Rio Grande do Sul, where towns like Ametista do Sul mine geodes from the same basalt flows as Uruguay. Brazilian geodes tend to be larger, with longer crystals and lighter purple, which is why most tall amethyst cathedrals are Brazilian. Mindat keeps a page on the Ametista do Sul locality. Brazil also produces amethyst in Minas Gerais and Bahia, and super seven, amethyst crowded with other minerals, originally came from Espírito Santo.

Vera Cruz amethyst

Vera Cruz amethyst comes from the mountains around Las Vigas de Ramírez in Veracruz, Mexico, and it looks nothing like geode amethyst. The crystals are long and slender, often very clear, with pale lavender color and sometimes phantoms inside, and many grow in delicate sprays. Collectors rank the best of them among the finest amethyst crystals anywhere. Atlas Obscura has a profile of the Veracruz mountain town that mines them.

Thunder Bay amethyst

Thunder Bay amethyst comes from veins in ancient Precambrian rock around Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Superior. Many crystals carry red hematite just under the surface of their tips, which gives the area's amethyst its signature red cap. Amethyst has been Ontario's official mineral since 1975, and several mines near the city let visitors dig their own.

Zambian amethyst

Zambian amethyst is mined mainly in the Kariba area of southern Zambia and is prized for dark, even purple. The crystals are often short and blocky, and some carry goethite or hematite inclusions or grow as scepters. Zambia is also a major source of amethyst rough for faceting.

Pink amethyst and other amethyst types

Pink amethyst and other amethyst types round out the list, and each comes from a particular corner of the world. Pink amethyst is a pale pink quartz from geodes in Patagonia, Argentina. Ametrine, amethyst and citrine zoned in one crystal, comes mainly from the Anahí mine in Bolivia. Amethyst spirit quartz from South Africa is coated in tiny secondary crystals. Madagascar and Morocco send deep purple clusters too.

Chevron Amethyst FAQ

Which country has the best amethyst?

No country has the best amethyst for every buyer: Uruguay is famous for deep purple geodes, Zambia for dark gem rough, Veracruz for clear crystals and Brazil for big cathedrals.

Why does Uruguay have so much amethyst?

Uruguay and southern Brazil have so much amethyst because huge basalt lava flows there were full of gas bubbles, and silica-rich water later lined those bubbles with crystals.

Is chevron amethyst valuable?

Chevron amethyst is valuable mainly as a decorative stone: it is common enough to cost less than fine crystal amethyst, and pieces with crisp bands and strong purple sit at the top of its range.

Is chevron amethyst real amethyst?

Chevron amethyst is real amethyst: natural purple quartz banded with white quartz, though dyed and glass imitations exist, as with any popular stone.

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