Gem-name guide / Gem variety

Amethyst

SiO₂

Amethyst is purple quartz. It is a gem variety, rather than a separate mineral species, and therefore leads to the quartz record in the scientific catalog.

Material or mineral family: Quartz
Name classification: Gem variety
Mohs hardness: 7
Typical colour: Purple

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Names describe materials, not the authenticity, treatment, provenance or quality of a particular specimen. Physical properties vary for mixed materials; values absent from this guide have not been estimated.

Reference snapshot: September 2026. Source dates and uncertainties are retained in the record.