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Amethyst is an extremely sought-after gem which has been valued by many civilizations since antiquity. A variety of vitreous quartz, amethyst often forms dramatic prismatic crystals which are often formed into jewelry without being cut. Brazil and Uruguay are common sources of high quality amethyst. In the early Christian church, amethyst was believed to guard against intoxication, hence its derivation from the Greek "amethustos," meaning "not drunk." Lepidolite is a silicate mineral of the mica group usually ranging from lilac to deep purple in color. Used industrially as a source of lithium and in glassmaking, the stone is mined in the Ural Mountains of Russia and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas. Discovered in 1978 in the Murun mountains in Yakutia, near the Charo River, bright purple Russian charoite is a silicate mineral composed of potassium, calcium and sodium. This purple, fibrous material may also contain patterns of black, white, orange and transparent crystals. Derived from "tapaz," the Sanskrit word for fire, topaz is one of the most brilliant cut gemstones in existence. Topaz comes in a variety of colors from yellow to blue, and deeper blues and pinks are often created by heat-treating stones. Brazil is the world's top exporter of topaz.
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