Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine
Description
- Creator
- Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine - Ministry of Northern Development & Mines
- Media Type
- Image
- Item Type
- Photographs
- Description
- Variety of: Quartz, SiO2
Uses: Gemstones and ornamental stones
Birthstone for: February
Color: various shades of purple
Index of refraction: 1.544-1.553
Birefringence: 0.009
Hardness: 7
Cleavage: none
Crystal system: trigonal
Pleochroic: no
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is a popular gemstone. If it were not for its widespread availability,, amethyst would be very expensive. The name 'amethyst' comes from the Greek and means 'not drunken.' This was, maybe due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring, to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered. Its color is unparalleled, and even, other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. Although it must always be, purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades., Amethyst can occur as long prismatic crystals that have a six sided pyramid at either end or can form as druzes that, are crystalline crusts that only show the pointed terminations. As a mineral specimen, amethyst is popular for its color, and nice crystal shapes that produce a handsome, purple, sparkling cluster., However, amethyst is not the same everywhere. Different localities can produce a unique amethyst to that particular, region or even to that particular mine. Experts can often identify the source mine that a particular amethyst came, from. The key to this is the specimen's color, shape of crystal, inclusions, associations and character of formation., Thunder Bay, Canada -- a distinct red hematite inclusion just below the surface of the crystals is unique to this locality. Clusters are druzy crusts that line the fissures formed in ancient metamorphic rocks.
- Subject(s)
- Collection
- Amethyst Mine Panorama
- Geographic Coverage
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 48.4001 Longitude: -89.31683
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
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