This project's intent was to share the beauty hidden inside different varieties of amethyst from all over the world, as seen through a macro lens. Many of these details are hidden to the naked eye or appear insignificant due to their small size. Once magnified, they invite the viewers into a mesmerizing and colourful world.
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The color of amethyst can vary from a pale pinkish violet to a dark blue violet, with shades or red and sometimes gray. Very often the color is unevenly distributed or even patchy.
Today most amethyst comes from Brazil and Uruguay. Before these vast resources were discovered, amethyst was mostly mined in India, Sri-Lanka, Germany (Idar-Oberstein region) and the Ural Mountains in Russia.
Attractive amethyst varieties are also found in Canada (Thunder-Bay), Namibia, South-Africa and Madagascar.
Most of the Brazilian amethyst has a rich violet colour and contains goethite inclusions that form typical bundles of brown needles.
Madagascar amethyst has many varieties. Some of the crystals contain veils and patches of colour and red hematite inclusions which add interest. The same is true about some of the Brandberg amethyst varieties from Namibia.
Many amethysts from the Thunder Bay area in Canada bear inclusions of red hematite in the outermost layers of the crystals. The red caps on the violet crystals give them very peculiar looks. The hematite cap is not a continuous layer but is made of small circular, flat inclusions. Amethyst crystals finished with milky quartz caps are also found in this area.
A very interesting variety of amethyst called Cactus or Spirit is found in South Africa in the Magaliesberg region, near Boekenhoutenhoek. Its core, a larger candle-shaped older crystal with a faceted termination point is encrusted with hundreds of younger crystals.
The pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 60D body and a EF-S 60 mm lens.
Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, amethyst crystals with goethite inclusions
Close-up - Brazil amethyst crystal with goethite needles inclusions
Close-up - Brazil amethyst crystal with goethite needles inclusions
Uruguay, slice of amethyst stalactite, backlit
Close-up - Uruguay, slice of amethyst stalactite, backlit
Uruguay, amethyst crystals displaying various colours on the same matrix
Uruguay, amethyst crystals displaying various colours on the same matrix
Canada, Thunder Bay, hematized amethyst
Close-up - Canada, Thunder Bay, hematized amethyst
Close-up - Canada, Thunder Bay, hematized amethyst
Namibia, Brandberg Mountains, rough amethyst crystal
Namibia, Brandberg Mountains, rough amethyst crystal
Namibia, Brandberg Mountains, rough amethyst crystal
Madagascar, amethyst crystal displaying a rainbow
Madagascar, amethyst with inclusions and crevices
Madagascar, amethyst with inclusions and crevices
Madagascar, colorful fracture in amethyst crystal
Canada, Thunder Bay, amethyst with clear cap crystals displaying iridescence
Canada, Thunder Bay, amethyst with clear cap crystals displaying iridescence
South Africa, Boekenhouthoek, cactus amethyst
Close-up - South Africa, Boekenhouthoek, cactus amethyst
