History and belief
The name comes from the Greek amethystos, meaning “not intoxicated”. In antiquity people believed the stone could protect against drunkenness, and it was worn as an amulet.
Today amethyst is associated with calm, sleep and intuition. Many people keep one by the bed or hold it while meditating. The cross on top of the Norwegian royal crown is set with six small amethysts.
What many people say
Many describe amethyst as a stone that settles restlessness. Its violet colour is restful to the eye, and a quiet ritual at bedtime can in itself make it easier to fall asleep.
What the stone really is
Amethyst is quartz with a hardness of 7. Its colour comes from tiny amounts of iron that have been exposed to natural radiation over a very long time. The stone itself is not radioactive.
Heated to around 250 °C, amethyst loses its violet colour and can turn yellow. Much of the citrine on sale is made this way. In Norway amethyst is found at Brynsåsen near Stange, on Bømlo and at several sites around Oslo.
Research has not found that crystals work beyond the placebo effect. Read about crystals and research