Amethyst--the Tie-dyed Quartz

        Amethyst is a purple-colored variety of the mineral quartz. In pure form quartz (silicon dioxide) is colorless, but impurities can alter its color. The purple color of amethyst is thought to be the product of tiny amounts of iron impurities. Amethyst can also be dichroic, which means that its color can appear to change when it is viewed at different angles (certain inks, such as the one used on the American $20 bill, do this too) Amethyst often has tiny drops of liquid trapped within its crystal structure, as well. The technical term for anything that is trapped within a crystal is an inclusion. In the case of amethyst these liquid inclusions are often called "tiger stripes" because the look like the stripes on a tiger's fur. It is because of all of these color phenomena that I call it the "tie-dyed quartz."
      Like quartz amethyst often forms within natural gas pockets and geodes. Quartz is the most common mineral in the world and is found everywhere on earth, so amethyst could theoretically be found anywhere. However there are certain areas where the mineral is found in abundance, most notably Brazil and the Ukraine. I have personally never found any in nature, but I do have three clusters of amethyst and one geode that contains the purple mineral. I think that amethyst is a beautiful mineral because its color is so uncommon.