Amethyst, Matte, Natural, Smooth Round in sizes 6mm & 8mm. Priced Per Strand

Amethyst, Matte, Natural, Smooth Round

This price is for one strand 15 to 16 inches long 

6mm strands have 60 to 65 pieces

8mm strands have 43 to 48 pieces 

Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silicon and oxygen atoms. Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, behind feldspar.

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz which is is transparent to translucent. It owes its violet color to natural irradiation, impurities of iron and in some cases other metals or trace elements.  Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet color to a deep purple color. 

The name comes from the Greek amethystos from "not" and methyo for "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness.   

The major sources of Amethyst are from Brazil as geodes within volcanic rocks, Uruguay, South Korea, China, Russia, United States, and South India. Zambia is one of the largest global amethyst producers.

Amethyst is the state gemstone of South Carolina.

Hardness 7

The source of these beads is South Africa and they are cut, drilled and polished in China.

This is a natural stone that has had no treatment other than cutting, drilling, and polishing and the matte treatment mentioned here.

Matte beads have a velvety or frosted surface, rather than a shiny or reflective surface. These stones undergo additional tumbling that require knowledge of the material and skill. Each stone type requires a different amount of time in the tumbler depending on the material's hardness and characteristics. The matte finish also creates a variation in color from the traditional finish of the bead.