Amethyst is a violet-coloured quartz. It is often used in jewellery as a semi-precious stone, and it is the birthstone for February.

The ancient Greeks wore amethyst because they thought it would stop them from getting drunk!

It is a form of quartz, and so is very hard and won't easily scratch. That is very useful in jewellery.

It has six-sided crystals that form sharp points. The colour is partly due to traces of other elements.