Amazonite is an opaque to translucent greenish-blue mineral, first discovered near the Amazon River in 1850. It has a Mohs hardness of 6 and a specific gravity of 2.57. Due to its relative brittleness, it is typically cut en cabochon rather than faceted. Major sources today include the Urals (Russia), Colorado and Virginia (USA), as well as Australia and South Africa.
Amethyst is a variety of quartz that forms fine pyramidal crystals. Its name is of Greek origin. Its hardness is 7 and its specific gravity 2.65. It is an impressively beautiful material and meets all specifications to be used for crafting jewelry. However, its price is not very high because it is mined in large quantities. Ancient Greeks believed that amethyst could guard against drunkenness.
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