Whether you like the way amethyst looks in jewelry or you want a piece to put on display, this deep purple crystal is an appealing option for many people. It’s also much less expensive than other gemstones and many types of crystals.
What is the price of amethyst?
The price of amethyst varies depending on quality, the size of the piece, and the current market demand, but most amethyst costs around $20 per carat.
Some amethyst costs as little as $2 per carat, while high-quality amethyst can cost as much as $40 per carat.
Comparatively, a diamond usually costs between $2,500 and $18,000 per carat, and a ruby costs about $2,500 per carat, although this price can rise dramatically if the ruby is of very high quality.
Abundance of Quartz
One of the reasons why amethyst is so inexpensive is because it’s a type of quartz. Quartz can be found in many different colors, but most people recognize it in its clear or white form.
Amethyst is quartz that has experienced irradiation and has impurities such as iron mixed in, which causes the brilliant purple colors of the stones.
Quartz makes up about 20% of the planet’s crust and about 12% of all land surface. It can be found in regions all around the world.
Although amethyst is a very particular type of quartz, and therefore not as common, it’s still not considered to be very rare. For this reason, the price is usually relatively low.
Natural vs. Synthetic Amethyst
Amethyst can also be created synthetically, which is another reason why it’s often so reasonably priced. Synthetic amethyst is grown in a lab, and these synthetic crystals are often of very high quality.
Synthetic amethyst will often display beautiful depths of color and few flaws, and large pieces can be grown with relative ease. This drives the price for all amethyst down by a considerable margin.
Natural and synthetic amethyst stones can look almost exactly the same, although synthetic stones will often appear more uniform in both color and clarity.
Natural amethyst will usually have slight variations in color, but this can be minor. These color variations are more noticeable in larger pieces.
In large pieces, you can often spot different bands of color, and you may be able to see white or blue streaks.
When it comes to cut and polished stones, it’s actually quite difficult to tell the difference between natural and synthetic gems, and it’s usually only very experienced gemologists who can determine which is which.
If you’re buying a piece of amethyst jewelry, the best way to determine whether it uses natural or synthetic stones is by considering the price. For jewelry-grade stones, natural amethyst should cost no less than $20 per carat. If it costs less, the stone is most likely synthetic.
Many people prefer natural stones because of their origin and because the minor flaws and different colors can make the piece feel unique and interesting.
However, just as many people choose synthetic stones, particularly for jewelry, because they’re affordable and because their uniform color and clarity make them bold and striking to see.
Quality and Hue
Many people use amethyst, along with other crystals, including other types of quartz, for healing or decorative purposes.
When used as a decoration, a larger crystal is often more appealing and makes a better statement piece, and because it’s so affordable, amethyst is often a good choice for this.
Larger pieces of amethyst may not have the same rich purple color throughout the entire stone, so they’re considered to have a lighter or less appealing hue than stones used in jewelry.
This makes them more affordable.
Large stones also frequently have more flaws, so they’re considered to be of lesser quality. These flaws, though, can make the stone look more interesting, and many people consider flawed amethyst to be more beautiful.
Some amethyst is a mixture of amethyst and clear or smokey quartz, while other amethyst may have bright orange spots of citrine.
Artificial Scarcity
Amethyst is more affordable than many other precious gems and crystals because of an idea known as artificial scarcity.
Artificial scarcity occurs when people are made to believe that some stones are much rarer than they are in reality, driving up the price.
This can be seen in the diamond industry, where a small group of people is in control of diamond pricing and also in exposing how many diamonds are actually made available.
Stones such as diamonds also have high fixed costs, which means that even when demand is low, the price rarely drops.
Amethyst, however, is not prone to artificial scarcity, so its price only fluctuates with market demand and usually stays relatively low.
