Amethyst is one of the most popular gemstones, and has been considered valuable since ancient times. Its name derives from the Greek “amethystos”, which means “not drunken”, as Amethyst in antiquity was thought to ward off drunkenness. Amethyst was once highly regarded among the precious gemstones like Ruby and Emerald, but discoveries of huge Amethyst deposits since the 1800’s have made Amethyst fairly inexpensive and very obtainable. Amethyst colors range from light to dark purple, and the transparent deep purple colors are the most highly regarded.