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Amethyst is the most valuable of all the quartz family While Amethyst ranges from light violet to darkest purple, transparent crystals with a deep, rich, royal purple color are the most desirable. For centuries, gem dealers in the Old World considered Amethyst to be one of only five "cardinal gemstones," comparable with Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. These cardinal gemstones were considered so rare that only the very highest echelons of society could hope to own one. However, in the 18th century, large Amethyst mines were discovered in Brazil and soon flooded the market, thus transforming Amethyst from a "precious" to a "semi-precious" stone.