Guilding the Stone - February Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dionysus

The Greek myth has it that Amethyst was saved from this grisly fate by the Goddess Artemis, who turned her into a lump of pure white quartz. Dionysus wept tears of red wine (apparently of remorse rather than frustration) which stained the quartz purple - creating the coloured gemstone which bears the name of Amethyst.

There are a number of variations of this myth, but the innocent maiden's transformation into quartz, and its staining - by either wine or tears - are constant elements.

Answer: They believed it prevented intoxication

The name amethyst comes from the Greek a- ("not") and methustos ("intoxicated"). Both the Greeks and Romans believed that that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness, and that wine drunk from cups of amethyst would stop them getting intoxicated.

Since, presumably, they continued to get drunk regardless of the material of which their cups were made, one wonders why the ancients continued with this odd belief.

Another possible reason for carving wine goblets from amethyst was because its purple colour meant that good wine could not be distinguished from that which had been watered down.

Answer: Aaron

Aaron, the brother of Moses, was appointed High Priest by God, and Exodus Chapter 28 contains instructions given by God for how to make the breastplate and precisely where to place the precious stones. The reference to amethyst is in verse 19. The twelve stones represent the twelve tribes of Israel, although authorities disagree over which stands for which (the Bible unhelpfully does not make this explicit). Amethyst has been linked with the tribes of Dan, Issachar and Gad (to name but three). The tradition of allocating birthstones to each month is believed to have its origin in this biblical passage.

Answer: Finland

Run by Arctic Amethyst Ltd, Finland's amethyst mine (located on the Lampivaara fell in Pyhä-Luosto) has recently been marketed as a tourist attraction, helped by its picturesque location in a national park. Outside Europe, the majority of gem-quality amethyst is mined in Brazil, although it is also found in parts of Africa (notably Zambia) and Russia.

Answer: Ontario

Large deposits of amethyst were found in the Thunder Bay area of Ontario in the 1950s when they were building a road. In 1975 the amethyst was officially chosen in the "Mineral Emblem Act".

Answer: Yellow

The yellow variety of quartz is known as citrine. Naturally-occurring citrine is much less common than amethyst (quartz's purple form), and the majority of citrine sold on the open market is in fact heated, or "burnt", amethyst. To make matters worse, citrine looks very similar to the more expensive topaz, and unscrupulous dealers have been known to pass the one off as the other.

Answer: Yangtze Incident

The "Yangtze Incident" occurred in 1949, during the Chinese civil war. HMS Amethyst was detailed to guard the British Embassy in Nanking on the Yangtze River, but was severely damaged during shelling by the rebel Communist forces. Despite this damage, and the death of several crew members, she eventually escaped downriver under cover of darkness.

One of the most famous elements of the story was the part played by the ship's cat, Simon, who was himself wounded during the action but went on to kill large numbers of rats which had invaded the ship at a point when she had run aground during the incident. Simon subsequently became the first cat to be awarded the "Dickin Medal" (instituted in 1943 to honour the work of animals in war).

A film was made of the incident in 1957, using the real HMS Amethyst for much of the filming, although the part of the River Yangtze itself was played by the not especially oriental River Orwell in Suffolk.

Answer: Sixtieth

As well as being linked by different sources (including jewellers and gift shops) to the ninth, seventeenth and thirty-third wedding anniversaries, amethyst has also been associated with the first, fourth and sixth anniversaries!

My theory is that this is a ploy of a secret cabal of dealers in amethysts, who are trying to ensure as large a market as possible for their gems. But as far as I know, none of them has had the nerve to oust diamond from its long-established position as the sixtieth anniversary gem.

Answer: Amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy

Because of its association with celibacy and piety in general, amethyst was also used more widely in the ornamentation of religious items, especially in the Middle Ages. Amethyst is important in other religions as well; in Tibet, it is believed to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.

Answer: It is said to be cursed

The Heron-Allen amethyst was looted during the Indian Mutiny of 1855, and brought to England by a cavalry officer. He, and everyone to whom the stone passed since, suffered from misfortune, including illness, financial ruin and death by suicide. The stone got its name from its last-but-one owner, Edward Heron-Allen, who declared it to be "cursed and stained with death".

His daughter donated it to the Natural History Museum (where her father had once worked), which has bravely put it on display.