Green Amethyst?

Jewelry Discussion
43

The correct name for the Amethyst material that is heated and
turns light green is “Greened Amethyst”. The name has deteriorated
to “Green Amethyst”

This is completely untrue! When you heat treat amethyst to become
> citrine you do not call it "yellowed amethyst"...

It doesn’t matter if you agree or not. The term that has been in use
since 1950 is “Greened Amethyst” and also “Prasiolite”.

The first time I heard the term “Greened Amethyst” many years ago, I
was also a bit indignant - though it didn’t do much good, as the
term continued to be used.

In my copy of the Gem Reference Guide, which admitedly isn't
necessarily the latest edition, "Greened Amethyst" is listed right
beside Green Quartz and Praseolite.

As long as the GIA and the AGTA are accepting the term - you will
see dealers and jewelers using the term legitamately and this
discussion can go on for as long as you like and the usage will not
change.

With respect to Amethyst heated to Citrine - how many jewelers or
dealers inform their customers that almost all of the Citrine sold
in the market place is heated amethyst?? Natural citrine is usually
not of a very interesting color.

According to Walter Schumann in “Gems of the World” “Prasiolite is
not found in nature, but from 1950 on has been produced by heating
amethyst and yellow quartz from the Montezuma mine in Minas Gerais,
Brasil at 500 C. More recently also, Arizona is supplying material
worth being faceted…” (page 120)

“Well known is the thermal treatment of Amethyst… The majority of
Citrines sold and all of the Prasiolites are treated in this
manner…”(page 28)

According to Bauer & Bouska in “Precious & Semiprecious Stones”
“Amethyst annealed at 500 C is called Prasiolite. The first attempts
at heat treating amethysts were made in 1950 with stones from
Montezuma in Minas Gerais, Brasil. The heated stones changed their
colour to pale green. A new locality yielding amethysts that change
their colour on heating has been opened in Arizona. Prasiolites now
rank among the most popular gemstones…” (page 140)

The amethyst has been treated to look like prasiolite. Who cares
if only some amethyst can be treated,..

This is incorrect, as shown by the sources above. “Prasiolite” IS
heat treated Amethyst and does not a occur naturally - without being
heat treated.

Please let me know the source of this as mine must be
outdated. This is the first I've read of clear quartz being
irradiated to turn it green. Thank you.

I was requested by Morgan Beard - Editor of Colored Stone Magazine
to research the physical sources in Brasil for the quartz that was
being irradiated to turn it into “Prasiolite”. At the recent Gem and
Mineral Show in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brasil I asked several
of my friends who either deal in the “Prasiolite” rough or sell the
faceted stones about the source of the quartz that will irradiate to
the green color.

Morgan Beard had already established the fact that the Brazilians
are irradiating the quartz by talking with the representative of
Embrarad which is the main gem stone irradiation facility in the city
of SE3o Paulo, Brasil.

I talked to several rough dealers and several stone cutters who have
sent quartz from different locations in Brasil and Uruguay to
Embrarad to have it irradiated and come back as “Prasiolite”. If
fact, Embrarad had one of the biggest booths at the Gem show this
year (and last year also) and their ad in the Show Guide this year
specifically mentions “Prasiolite (green amethyst)” as one of the
services that they provide.

Also listed in their ad are: Green Gold Quartz, Olive Quartz, Cognac
Quartz, Rose de France Amethyst, and Smoky Quartz amongst quite a few
other gemstone varieties.

I have been told that only Amethyst from Montezuma, Brazil can be
heat treated to the green color. Is that true?

Partially true, according to both sources above there is a location
in Arizona where the amethyst produced will heat treat to
“Prasiolite”.

The rest of the “Green Amethyst”…“Greened Amethyst” or “Prasiolite”
on the market today is irradiated quartz. Just like the Green Gold
Quartz, Lemon Quartz, Lemon Citrine and Smoky Quartz.

Rio Grande will advertise this product as Green Quartz

You might want to make a differentiation for the “Prasiolite” as
irradiated green quartz, as there is also dyed green quartz on the
market.

Best regards,
Robert Lowe
Lowe Associates - Brasil
Gemstones, Rough, Specimens
Tucson - Jan 31 - Feb 5, 2007 - GJX # 205

45

Results of Google Searches

about 787 for "greened amethyst"
about 87,300 for “green amethyst”.

Most of the pages are comercial ones selling jewlery made for the
material. Though there were a few interesting scientific ones.

The first one is quite interesting as it distiguishes between the
"natural" “Greened Amethyst” and the irradiated clear quartz turned
green. It also explains how to use a Chelsea Filter to distinguish
the difference between the two.

  Green Quartz 

  They are known as "prasiolite" or "greened amethyst". A large
  am= ount of green quartz in the similar colour has been on the
  gem market since early last year...Colour zoning in the
  directions intersecting almost at right angle to each other are
  seen in natural green quartz (greened amethyst), while colour
  zoning... 

  gaaj-zenhokyo.co.jp/researchroom/kanbetu/2006/2006_05-01en.html

This whole nomenclature debate was going on on another discussion
list recently:

  Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard :: Rockhounds :: Prasiolite
  green... The green amethyst is probably more properly called
  greened amethyst. The green color is usually caused by heating
  of amethyst (natural or artifical)....

  www.mindat.org/mesg-15-38542.html

And there was this article. I hadn’t heard about the South of Bahia
source. Though the source in Uruguay is reported to have the same
problem of only a part of the stones irradiating to Green.

 Openmind

  I hope this is of some help to the discussion. In Brazil,
  there has been a renewed interest in prasiolite throughout 2005
  due to the recent discovery of mining areas in South Bahia. The
  quartz crystals taken from the ground are colorless. After
  being irradiated and finally heated in special conditions, only
  30% of them turn green (the rest is considered a "waste of
  money", since the attempted treatment has a cost, but no
  results). There has yet not been found a way to predict which
  stones will change and which won't, so the whole batch has to
  undergo treatment. 

  Here comes the interesting part: of the ones that do turn
  green, you can do a little experiment by placing them outdoors
  for 24 hours in a place where they'll receive direct sunlight.
  And... very few of them develop strong violet pouches or
  banding in them (something like a green amethyst going
  rebelliously back to violet). The amount of violet that appears
  and green that remains varies from gem to gem, and it seems to
  hold after the 24-hour exposure. I've seen some that were cut
  after they "rechanged" colors, and an attempt was made to show
  off as much of this unusual variation as possible. They looked
  quite unique. One of the gems that changed the most reminded me
  of the photo posted above (nearly all violet and only thin
  green bands left).

Somehow it seems that a jeweler telling his customers that he is
selling them irradiated quartz that turns green just doesn’t have
the same hook as raising controversy offering them "Greened Amethyst"
or even “Green Amethyst” - so I imagine that the name will not fade
away - and hopefully the color of the stones will not either.

Best regards,
Robert Lowe
Lowe Associates - Brasil
Gemstones, Rough, Specimens
Tucson - Jan 31 - Feb 5, 2007 - GJX # 205

46 
Please let this topic die and stop tring to justify selling your
prasiolite as "green amethyst" to make more money.

Up until this last digest we have been participating in this
discussion out of curiosity, since we have not dealt in this
material.

Since your statement above was in response to and quoting parts of
our previous post, it is to be assumed that the baseless accusation
is directed towards our company.

Please be informed that our company does not and has not ever sold
any product to anyone, anywhere, at any time that has been identified
as “Green Amethyst” or “Greened Amethyst”. We do not agree with this
terminology nor do we like it. Our discussion up until now has been
to show what is being used by some members of the industry and not
our own usage or preference.

One should be quite careful of making baseless accusations on a
public forum.

We also do not sell products identified as prasiolite (without the
quotation marks) since the green colored quartz material or
“prasiolite” that is available in the market place is - as was
stated by us in a previous post, almost invariably irradiated clear
quartz from some specific locations in Brasil. The one piece of
“prasiolite” that we have sold in our entire existence as gemstone
and rough wholesalers was identified to the buyer as being irradiated
quartz.

One positive result of this interchange has been the discovery of
the possibility of distinguishing irradiated green colored quartz
material from naturally occurring prasiolite or heated “Greened
Amethyst” by the use of a Chelsea filter. (as was posted by us in the
Monday 28 August digest)

There, I hope you have enough proof natural green quartz
(prasiolite) does exist.

We sincerely doubt that there is any natural unheated “prasiolite”
readily available on the market.

I would not, as the Brazilians say “put my hand in the fire” to
swear to the naturalness of any “prasiolite” or “green amethyst” that
is being sold in the Brazilian market place or by any Brazilian
dealers anywhere in the world.

We also doubt that the owners of the Four Peaks Amethyst mine in
Arizona are going to heat treat their amethyst that they sell
faceted in excess of USD$ 25.00/carat to turn it into “prasiolite”
which sells wholesale somewhere in the range of USD$ 3.00 - USD
5.00/carat

Even the “natural” crystals of “prasiolite” that we recently
purchased at the Gem and Mineral Show in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais
in August will be submitted to the Chelsea filter test and will be
identified correctly, to any buyer, as a result of this test.

Do we think that jewelers and dealers will stop using the terms
“Green Amethyst” or even “Greened Amethyst” anytime soon and start
using “quartz irradiated to turn green” - we seriously doubt it -
the first two terms are much more “catchy” and pique curiosity and
controversy as has been proved by the length of this thread up until
now.

As far as we are concerned this is the last post of ours on this
subject and hopefully your last one will be your public apology for
your baseless accusation.

Best regards,
Robert Lowe
Lowe Associates - Brasil
Gemstones, Rough, Specimens
Tucson - Jan 31 - Feb 5, 2007 - GJX # 205

47 
As long as the GIA and the AGTA are accepting the term - you will
see dealers and jewelers using the term legitamately and this
discussion can go on for as long as you like and the usage will not
change.

GIA does not accept the term. They list it in quotes as a trade
name, and GIA never accepts trade names or misnomers. Although
dealers and jewelers will use the term, it still is not legitimate,
but that never stopped them before. And, as you say, the usage will
not change.

According to Walter Schumann in "Gems of the World" "Prasiolite is
not found in nature, but from 1950 on has been produced by heating
amethyst and yellow quartz from the Montezuma mine in Minas Gerais,
Brasil at 500 C. More recently also, Arizona is supplying material
worth being faceted...." (page 120

Schumann’s is outdated. There have been many natural
occurrences of prasiolite. Additionally, prasiolite is the term for
the natural occurrence of this gem, while heated and irradiated forms
are termed greened “amethyst.” The following link may help clear this
up for you. It is a report that Carrie Nunes turned me onto, from
gemologyonline.com:

http://tinyurl.com/gzl3h

There is far more current available that that found in
old textbooks. Thanks, Carrie, and thanks, Orchid.

James S. Duncan, G.G
James in SoFL

48

After reading the passionate debate over this misnamed stone, I was
surprised to both see prasiolite at the Denver gem shows and see a
very good short article in “Colored Stone”, Sept/Oct pg 12-13, by
Diana Jarret, GG, RMV. At the show I never saw it misidentified as
amethyst. Did the word spread from the forum?

The Denver shows seemed to be both bigger and more of the same. Once
you were able to find a parking space, you could find a wondrous
array of rough and finished goods.

On a very happy note, as the fantastically lucky winner of the
Orchid raffle, I was able to meet up with Jason Penn, who donated
some fantastic stones to the raffle, thanks Jason and thanks Orchid!

Marlin in a very windy Denver

49 
After reading the passionate debate over this misnamed stone, I was
surprised to both see prasiolite at the Denver gem shows and see a
very good short article in "Colored Stone", Sept/Oct pg 12-13, by
Diana Jarret, GG, RMV. At the show I never saw it misidentified as
amethyst. Did the word spread from the forum?

No, the subject has been discussed here at least two or three times.
Also, I doubt that Rio Grande and the myriad other suppliers who
misnamed it would have got it from Orchid. Additionally, at the
Intergem show in Miami a couple of weeks ago, nearly every dealer of
loose gemstones had plenty of green “amethyst,” so your experience in
Denver may be a happy harbinger. Or not.

James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL

50

What was the consensus? Did we decide that Green Amethyst does or
does not exist? The reason that I ask if that it is selling for
around $200 or more for a strand of around 30 faceted briolettes of
’Green Amethyst’ in NY’s Diamond district. All of the dealers insist
that it is in fact true green amethyst when I query them on how you
can have such a thing! So confusing. I have just decided not to buy
this stone and to stay away from it. It does not seem worth the
trouble.

51

Hi Annabel

If you haven’t already, stop by to see Oriental Gemco. You may do
better than that on this particular stone. I have used it in a
necklace…IMHO it came out beautiful. I am photographing it for the
website (up mid-Nov) and, so far, this is my most expensive
piece…conservatively priced at 300 but should be closer to 325. I
am labeling it Prasiolite and fully disclosing how it comes to be to
the customer.

Good Luck
Kim

52 
What was the consensus? Did we decide that Green Amethyst does or
does not exist? The reason that I ask if that it is selling for
around $200 or more for a strand of around 30 faceted briolettes of
'Green Amethyst' in NY's Diamond district. All of the dealers
insist that it is in fact true green amethyst when I query them on
how you can have such a thing!

Amethyst must be purple, never green. The gemstone manager of Rio
Grande, Kevin Whitmore, has even written to this group to let us know
they’re removing the term from their catalog.

I’m not saying that it is cheaper to cut briolettes from this
treated material than it is to cut them from any other variety of
quartz. In fact, since a great deal of the amethyst on the market is
enhanced, prices should be similar. Indeed, a great deal of the
amethyst on the market (some sources indicate as much as half) is
synthetic. Who knows how much of the green material is irradiated?

If the briolettes you mention are well cut and matched, and the
price is in line with their other varieties of quartz (amethyst,
citrine), then by all means, press on. Just please don’t sell it as
green “amethyst.” Feel free to tell your customers that some dealers
call it green “amethyst,” but that the term is improper. Greened
“amethyst” is better, but the true scientific name, prasiolite, is
the most descriptive term.

Next on my tirade against gem misnomers: red “labradorite.” Stay
tuned.

53 
Amethyst must be purple, never green. The gemstone manager of
Rio Grande, Kevin Whitmore, has even written to this group to let
us know they're removing the term from their catalog. I'm not
saying that it is cheaper to cut briolettes from this treated
material than it is to cut them from any other variety of quartz.
In fact, since a great deal of the amethyst on the market is
enhanced, prices should be similar.

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I must say though, that I
have never seen “green amethyst” for the same price of regular
amethyst. Even if the cut and matching and clarity are completely the
same, the green amethyst is always much more expensive!

One dealer said their green amethyst was from Brazil? Is that the
area where someone mentioned that there is naturally occuring green
amethyst or is that also still prasiolite? Sorry for the confusion,
but I AM confused.

54

Hi All,

Its been a while since I added to the group so here is what I think
I know on this subject. Forgive me if I am repeating what has already
been said.

For 20+ years ago I heard about “green amethyst” but saw very few if
any stones. In the last 6 or so years numerous unusual colors of
quartz have been seen on the market - bright yellows, yellow greens,
army greens, pastel greens, honey colors and more. These colors were
not seen 6+ years ago. Many if not all or these recently available
colors in quartz are the result of trying irradiation on more and
more natural materials. Recently I even read Colored Stone editor
Morgan Beard’s article with the director of a large Brazilian
irradiation firm. There was some enlightening within and
evidence of this blossoming business in Brazil.

Some have called the recently seen pastel green quartz prasiolite
and “green amethyst.” However I have read in gemological texts saying
that the green quartz of old was created not by irradiation, but
rather by heating of amethyst from certain mines. The heated treated
resultant green material was called prasiolite or “green amethyst.”
As you can see, it makes more sense to call the gem “green amethyst”
when you start out with amethyst to obtain the new green color
material.

Having said that, IMHO “green amethyst” is still a misnomer… in my
book amethyst needs to be some variety of purple. (Kinda like
emerald needs to be green not red or pink IMO.)

The question as to whether the new green quartz color created by
irradiation (not solely heat) deserves to be called prasiolite
remains open. Even though it is not created just by heating I
personally think the prasiolite name is OK.

Steve Green
Rough and Ready Gems
www.briolettes.com Fine gem quality briolettes and ultrasonic drilling

55 
Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I must say though, that I
have never seen "green amethyst" for the same price of regular
amethyst. Even if the cut and matching and clarity are completely
the same, the green amethyst is always much more expensive!

You’re welcome, Annabel. I guess what I meant is that this stuff
“shouldn’t” be selling for more than purple amethyst or citrine,
although it is. The price is inflated at the moment due to smaller
amounts (compared to amethyst and citrine) currently on the market
coupled with all the hoopla that the various jewelry television shows
have been causing with their heavy promotion of it. If you really
want to deal with it now, I recommend you deal in small amounts,
otherwise you may wind up stuck with a large inventory of cheap
stones after the price comes down. After all, this is a treated
stone, there will definitely be a glut of it in record time.

One dealer said their green amethyst was from Brazil? Is that the
area where someone mentioned that there is naturally occuring green
amethyst or is that also still prasiolite? Sorry for the confusion,
but I AM confused.

Brazil is where the first naturally occurring deposit was found,
yes. Reportedly, there are others. Personally, I’m referring to ALL
green quartz as green quartz or prasiolite. Green “amethyst” and
greened “amethyst” are just too misleading to the public.

James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL

56

Hi Annabel,

Am I correct in deducing that the study of gems is a relatively new
area for you, based on both this question and your previous one? If
so, that’s quite alright – after all, we all had to begin somewhere
– so wherever you are on the gemological learning bell-curve is a
great place to be, and I applaud your courage to ask questions of us
all. As for your query about this material, what’s important to
realize is that it is called “greened”, not “green” amethyst. That’s
because certain vatieties of amethyst – not all, mind you, just some
of them – will turn to various shades of green if gently heat
treated in a reducing atmosphere for a number of hours. (I used to be
able to quote the specifics of the formula, but I’ve never needed to
use it, so haven’t managed to remember most of it!) All the same,
there are two cliques who sell the stuff: one who refers to it as
having been “greened”, and another, which refers to is by it’s old
trade name, “Praisolite”. In either case, it’s a material that, at
one time in it’s evolution, was amethyst, but is now green because
of what happened to the iron and other impurities in it, during that
visit to the oven. Regardless of what you call it, the cleaner and
more richly colored it is, the more difficult (and therefore,
expensive) it is going to be.

So here again, price is a factor, and not just because someone is
perceived to be taking advantage of the little guy. Although it’s
easy to understand how you and/or others could feel that way –
especially if you’ve ever flipped on the TV and seen one of those
shop-at-home jewelry channels, with their implications that abundant
supplies are always available, and that anyone wiith a credit card
can step right up and look like royalty.

The hardest part of understanding the gem market’s pricing often has
more to do with grasping and coming to terms with all of the
seemingly unrelated variables involved in getting the gem materials
from deep inside the earth to the cutters, and then, to the
showcases. Little things you would’nt even think of, like how local
weather patterns and cost increases in the prices of steel,
helicopter fuel, milk and poultry in the local economy of a mining
region can send that region’s gem prices skyrocketing. Or how a
change in buyers’ spending habits, because of, say, a fashion shift
from bluish to brownish reds, can translate into the shuttering of an
entire mining region, and the reassignment of its workers to other
unrelated tasks – like sheep-shearing, because that’s what will pay
their families’ grocery bills for that season – which then makes it
neccessary to pay higher interest rates to finance an entiorely new
mining region, then train workers to dig there, etc., etc. (And,
when that happens, and the supply of the old material has been
utterly cut off, what do you think happens to the pricing of
whatever’s left, regardless of who’s cutting it?) For example, about
four years ago, I bought a kilogram of a certain faceting material
that was then readily available, for something like $175.00, and a
hundred grams of something else for roughly $2.25/gram. Earlier this
year, when I inquired about another kilo of the exact same (first)
material, in the exact same sizes, I was quoted $7,500.00 for it, and
$300/g for the second material “if I can find it; I’ll have to ask
around and see if anyone’s still got any”. So, if you and other
silver- or goldsmiths are used to paying “old stock” prices, and
someone quotes you a price, based on the replacement cost of the new
material, is it that he’s outlandishly expensive, or that you and the
others aren’t aware of all of the details? Or is the answer somewhere
in between? And, as for that well-known dealer you’d mentioned, it’s
entirely possible that he deals in the rarer materials, in the larger
sizes, and with finer quality cutting. Then again, it’s equally
possible that he’s a cold-hearted crook, out to separate you from you
r last dime! I have no way of knowing, without more info.

Last, but not least, Annabel, the best way I’ve ever found for
separating people from their misconceptions about gem pricing, is to
invite them (and now, you) to spend an afternoon separating gem
roughs from the dirt and rock they form in. Until you’ve personally
invested the time and energy to swinging a shovel, rock pick,
sledgehammer or pickaxe against the earth, and have actually
witnessed the amount of dirt and rock that must be removed, relative
to the percentage worth cabbing or faceting, you’ll never really know
just how close to, or far away from, the facts any of your beliefs
about the gem mining really are, because of the sheer number of
guesses, suppositions and assumptions involved. If you live in the
northeastern US and would like to meet and go digging for cutting
materials sometime, I’ll be more than happy to bring you along with
me to one of the many sites in my area. And who knows? Maybe you’ll
come away with something good enough to wear, yourself. If you do,
I’ll even let you use my equipment to cut it! Now, how’s that for an
offer?

Wishing you luck and success,

Doug

Douglas Turet, G.J.,
Turet Design, LLC
P.O. Box 242
Avon, MA 02322-0242
Tel: (508) 586-5690
Fax: (508) 586-5677

57 
If you really want to deal with it now, I recommend you deal in
small amounts, otherwise you may wind up stuck with a large
inventory of cheap stones after the price comes down. After all,
this is a treated stone, there will definitely be a glut of it in
record time.

Thanks again. It is beautiful, but I think that I am not going to buy
it as it is just not worth the hassle and the inflated price.

Also, there is an amethyst that is extremely light lavender and not
deep purple. One gem dealer called this “pink amethyst.” I also saw
one jewelry designer call this “lavender amethyst.” Does such a
thing exist or is this another misnomer for a treated stone? I ask
because for some reason his “pink amethyst” was more expensive than
the darker amethyst who purple color I am used to.

58 
what's important to realize is that it is called "greened", not
"green" amethyst.

I don’t mean to be contentious, but personally I feel very
comfortable calling this stuff “green quartz” because there is no
doubt that this is accurate. “Greened amethyst” is too hard to say,
and customers are not going to hear and pay attention to the
distinction. Prasiolite is hard to remember and unfamiliar. But there
is rock quartz, rose quartz… green quartz. No inaccuracy, no
confusion, no problem.

Noel

59

Annabel,

The pink or lavender amethyst you speak of is often called “Rose de
France” amethyst. Pricewise, it is not as desirable and should not
cost more than a good deep purple amethyst such as Uruguayan. But I
often set them in silver and I sell every one. Older women seem to
like them. Maybe they go with the blue rinses. :wink:

Brian Corll
Brian Corll, Inc.
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

60 
Also, there is an amethyst that is extremely light lavender and
not deep purple. One gem dealer called this "pink amethyst." I also
saw one jewelry designer call this "lavender amethyst." Does such a
thing exist or is this another misnomer for a treated stone?

Yes it is a real stone, not synthetic and usually I have seen it
called pale amethyst. I have some stones in an almost pink lilac
stone which come from zambia and are natural/untreated.

61

Hi again Annabel,

Another great question! Amethyst comes in a wide range of saturation
levels, from stuff so pale you have to squint to see any color at
all, to that which is so saturated (dark), you have to hold a Maglite
behind it to see anything but black, and in tones from pinkish
lavender to reddish (or bluish) violet, to brownish purple. The
lightest material that’s still visibly lilac to lavender is known as
"Rose de France" – or “Fleur de France”, if you happened to live in
France. (And which I’ve always thought sounded so much more
prestigious, at gem shows, than “that cheap, junky pale stuff on the
paper plates” {;o)! ) Then, a few years ago, a new supply was
discovered in either Vietnam or Cambodia (forgive me, but I’ve
forgotten which one), but which had a lighter, pinker color than most
Rose de France, and wasn’t encumbered by the sleepy haziness usually
seen in Rose Quartzes. As such, it became known as “Pink Amethyst”,
and according to some I’ve spoken to, it may actually have been
responsible for the current push of pastel gems in jewelry, though I
can’t swear by that. Hope this has proved helpful to you, Annabel.

All my best,
Doug

Douglas Turet, G.J.,
Turet Design, LLC
P.O. Box 242
Avon, MA 02322-0242
Tel: (508) 586-5690
Fax: (508) 586-5677

62

The old (and often still used) name for the pale tones of Amethyst
is Rose de France. There is really nothing wrong with using these
descriptive names so long as they are not misleading as to what the
stone really is. Jewelry is all about the beauty, romance and the
mystique of these gems. Why do we call a princes cut diamond a
princes cut? A princes had nothing to do with it. Why do we give our
designs and jewelry shops fancy names? As I said in an earlier
posting…the term is definitely Greened Amethyst and not
Green Amethyst… But if another name was developed which becomes
universal in use, that is no crime either. Is it Zoisite or Tanzanite
? Why is it OK for Tiffany to hand out romantic names and wrong for
other people in the industry to do the same?

Sali
Casmira Gems, Inc

63

Hear, hear, Sali. I have to heartily agree. Green amethyst sounds OK
to me. And I can sell it. To sell, one of the factors is name
recognition. What the hell is prasiolite to the average consumer ?
It’s green amethyst, and they’ll buy it that way. Prasiolite sounds
like a material for kitchen counter tops. Gemology has its place, but
there’s scientific correctness, and then there’s sales. Sometimes the
two just don’t mix. Zoisite was a good case in point.

Princess cut diamonds remind me of the old princess phones (an ugly
brick if there ever was one). My sister just had to have one because
it was a “princess” phone and she was 14 years old. Sold !

Brian Corll
Brian Corll, Inc.
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055