7 Tips for Choosing Beautiful Amethyst Rings

Amethyst Rings Buying Guide

With non-diamond engagement rings on the rise, amethyst rings are a perfect choice.  If you’re looking to buy a new amethyst ring but don’t know how to choose the best one, you’ve come to the right place.  We’ve compiled a few helpful tips to serve as a guide to help you find the best amethyst rings.

There are many aspects to take into consideration when looking for a quality  amethyst gemstone ring with the best value.   It can be confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for.  Our amethyst ring buying guide will provide important tips to help you choose the best amethyst rings.   

Tips for buying Amethyst Rings

1. The Color of Amethyst gemstone impacts Value

Amethysts are often distinguished because of their purple color. They come in a variety of shades from light lavender to a deeper violet. You can find that there are also underlying colors like hints of red or blue as their secondary hues.

Among the key tips for choosing amethyst rings is to understand that color is one of the most important things to keep in mind when buying amethyst jewelry.   More expensive amethyst will have a darker more concentrated purple compared to their lighter counterparts.  Choosing them depends entirely on your preferences.

The value for amethysts depends almost entirely on color. As with other colored gemstones, hue, tone, and saturation factors have the most impact on cost. A high-quality amethyst will show even color, without visible zoning. Amethysts range in color from light, pinkish purple stones to deep grape hues.

International Gem Society (IGS)

When choosing your amethyst ring, it’s best to see it under natural light. This lets you see its underlying colors more accurately as well as any imperfections on the stone. If you’re looking for amethyst rings online, it’s best to look at websites that offer quality close-up photos.  Since this stone is plentiful, there is little reason to pay top dollar for amethyst rings with visible inclusions or inferior cutting.

Most consumers generally favour darker stones, ideally with 75-80% tone.   However, it’s up to you when choosing the right color since it lies on what you like better. Whichever shade that you like, be sure to look at their secondary colors as well.

Here’s a tip for buying amethyst rings – use incandescent light to reveal the gemstones secondary colors.  Secondary red hues may be present under incandescent light. Their presence indicates a truly exceptional amethyst.

Luxuria Diamonds

2. Poorly Cut Amethyst rings have little value

Because amethysts have such wide availability, poorly cut gems, even with good color, aren’t highly valued.

Different cuts emphasize different aspects of a certain gemstone. For amethysts, you’ll want the cut to enhance its color and make it more vibrant. When choosing the perfect cut for an amethyst, take into account how intense its color is.

As a rule, amethysts can be cut into any shape or cut style that a diamond or any other stone can.  Just make sure your faceted stone has a symmetrical cut with correct proportions.

The cushion cut is particularly popular for amethyst rings.  This is because being a brilliant cut, its sparkles intensely whilst retaining a modern square shape.

Another good cut for amethyst is multi-faceted round cut.  With facets at numerous angles, it’s intended to maximize sparkle.

The most obvious feature of a poorly cut Amethyst gemstone is a central window which reduces light performance. Windowing is an area of the stone that does not reflect light back to the observer

PHOTO 2: Some poorly cut Amethyst gemstones will feature an area of the stone, usually in the centre, where it’s possible to see through the stone.  This is called windowing.  When large enough it is possible to read text placed directly behind the gem. While still beautiful, Amethyst rings with windowing have lower value and less surface sparkle.  Seen above is a pear shaped amethyst solitaire ring from Luxuria.   [SOURCE:  Luxuria Diamonds]

A key takeaway from this amethyst ring buying guide is that if you are looking for Amethyst rings with more sparkle from the face avoid poorly cut stones.    For example, the cutting of pavilion facets below the critical angle will allow light to pass through the gemstone.   This can result in Amethyst windowing and it is not desirable.

In the end though, you can choose from any cut you like as long as it has the right size and distribution of color for it. The popularity of the cut greatly affects its pricing and availability. 

If you don’t know much about the different cuts for gemstones, then you can choose whichever looks the prettiest for you. It shouldn’t matter too much if you just want a beautiful ring and aren’t particular with how it’s cut.

3. Invest in high Clarity Amethyst

If you want to be getting the best value for your money, then it’s a good idea to invest in an amethyst that has high clarity.

The clearer your amethyst gemstone is, the fewer blemishes you’ll see inside and on the surface of the stone.  It also makes the stone look more brilliant since it reflects more light off of it.

Be Aware.  Small inclusions in large, dark Amethyst stones may be tolerated. However, any inclusions in lighter stones will be more noticeable.  As such, they will hold less value.

To get yourself the best and most beautiful looking amethyst you’ll want to look for ones that are as clean as possible. Not only do they look better than those with some imperfections, but they have higher value too.

4. Choose a Setting That Suits You

The setting of the ring is what falls to your preference. The setting refers to how the amethyst gemstone is placed and set into the metal band. There are tons of different settings to choose from, all following their own theme.

Ranging from vintage designs to modern ones, whichever you choose will depend on what style you’re looking for. If you’re looking for an amethyst birthstone ring setting that’s more clean and classic, go for the prong setting.  It’s the go-to setting, simple yet stunning, where the stone is usually held up by 4 or 6 prongs.

PHOTO 3: Larger sized amethyst gemstones benefit from multi prong settings.  Seen above is a modern 6 prong set 3.6 carat t.w. solitaire marquise cut amethyst gemstone ring.  These amethyst rings feature a chunky 925 sterling silver band. [SOURCE:  Luxuria Diamonds]

If you want something for everyday usage then a bezel setting may be a good option.  This is because the bezel setting wraps around the stone holding it in place and offering the gemstone more protection.   The trade-off however is light performance.   The Amethyst is unlikely to sparkle as much as it would with a prong setting.  There are plenty more settings that you can choose from, so you’re guaranteed to find one that’s perfect for you. 

5. Carefully consider the Ring band material

For something long-lasting and durable, we recommend amethyst rings have a metal band that’s made of 14k gold. Depending on the color scheme you want with the amethyst, you could either go white, yellow or rose gold. 

Alternatively, rhodium plated 925 sterling silver is also a good but less expensive choice.  Rhodium is a rare, silver-white hard metal in the platinum family on the periodic table.  It’s highly reflective and holds the distinction of being one of the most expensive precious metals in the world. 

Rhodium increases shine, lustre and durability and looks a lot like white gold.  Rhodium plating will also make the metal more scratch resistant and less prone to tarnishing.  However, the perhaps the biggest upside to expensive rhodium plating is it’s completely nickel free, making it hypoallergenic.

Amethyst rings set in rhodium plated sterling silver can with care last a lifetime.

6. Understand that Amethyst may be treated

When gemstones are first pulled out of the Earth, they can sometimes be dull and have a muted color. Their natural form can go through certain steps to improve color.

Although an uncommon practice, dark-toned amethysts may receive heat treatments to lighten them. This is a stable and permanent treatment.   When heated to 400-500º C, amethysts may turn brown, red, and sometimes a green color.  These green quartz gems are known as prasiolite.  Ask your jeweller or supplier about whether the amethyst gemstone has been heat treated.

According to IGS, further heating can alter the stone’s color altogether, turning it into citrine or other quartz varieties with shades of green, red, brown, or colorless. Some vendors refer to amethysts turned green due to heating as “green amethyst.” This is a misnomer. While amethyst is the purple variety of quartz, the proper term for green quartz is prasiolite.

PHOTO 4:   Be aware that some (in fact most) amethyst birthstone rings have amethyst gemstones that have been heat treated.  Amethyst stones which are too dark and don’t therefore manage light well can be lightened.   This photo shows a Amethyst halo engagement ring where the purple amethyst has been heat treated.   Treatment is permanent.    [SOURCE:  Luxuria Diamonds]

7. Consider the Amethyst Carat Weight

Amethysts are available in all sizes, though large crystals of fine quality amethyst are rare. The largest specimens come from Brazilian mines. However, these tend to have color banding. Most consumers prefer the smaller but intensely colored stones found in Zambia.

The price per carat of Amethyst climbs gradually. Above 25 carats, stones tend to decrease in value per carat.  Since amethyst is readily available in large sizes, its value per carat climbs gradually, not exponentially. Since this stone is plentiful, there is little reason to pay top dollar for pieces with visible inclusions or inferior cutting.

Be wary of amethyst rings that are too cheap for their size.  Synthetic amethyst is available and serves as an inexpensive alternative to natural stones.  The synthetic so closely emulates the natural it very difficult to distinguish it from the natural.  Further, cheap amethyst rings are typically cheap for a reason, often using low cost base metals for the band which are then thinly plated.

PHOTO 5:   Tips for buying amethyst rings.  Be aware that not all purple stones are natural amethyst.  Synthetic amethyst or lab created amethyst has disrupted the fine quality natural amethyst market.  Moreover, purple color cubic zirconia and crystal also sometimes imitate amethyst.  Seen above is a purple statement cocktail ring using purple crystal glass briolette stone.  [SOURCE:  Luxuria Diamonds]

Start Choosing the Best Amethyst Rings Here!

We hope that this amethyst ring buying guide has provided good tips for choosing amethyst rings.   The best amethyst rings and amethyst rings of higher value will have consistent color, good clarity and an excellent cut.   All the other aspects depend on your preferences and the look you want with your ring.

Always buy your amethyst rings from a credible supplier, ideally one which is a professional jewellery association member.  This is because there are amethyst synthetics and simulants in the market.  You want to have confidence that what you are buying is a natural amethyst.

If you enjoyed this amethyst gemstone article and found it helpful, why not go through more of our content?   We provide all kinds of beautiful rings and tips, such as this one discussing 10 tips for buying a simulated diamond ring.  

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We also welcome any comments you have on the topic of amethyst rings.   Please use the comments section below to share your thoughts.