February's birthstone is the amethyst, a gem which has been hugely popular across the eras, making antique amethyst jewellery easy to find. The fact that purple could for centuries only be produced from natural materials made it labour-intensive and thus highly expensive – at one point the stone was literally worth its weight in gold! As a result the amethyst became linked to royalty and power. The Victorians were big fans - when Queen Victoria wore a gown to the Royal Exhibition in 1862 dyed with the newly available product the colour became extremely fashionable.
The amethyst is popular for is hue and vibrancy and at
Alfies our jewellery dealers have a beautiful selection of pieces on offer:
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| Victorian 18k gold and amethyst necklace. Available from Kieron Reilly. |
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| An amethyst ring surrounded with small diamonds set in white gold. 1960s-70s. From Gareth Brooks. |
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| Edwardian Suffragette necklace. 1910-1915. Amthyst and natural pearl. Available from Zeeba Jewels. |
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