Yes, amethyst crystal change its color due to the heat or ultraviolet (UV) radiation. When amethyst crystal heated to temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius, it loses it purple color and generally turns brown, yellow, and orange. The lose of color happens because the heat causes the iron impurities in the crystal to lose their oxidation state.
When in contact to UV radiation, such as sunlight or fluorescent lights, amethyst can also change its color. In comparison to the heating process it is much slower, but it can eventually turns amethyst crystal completely colorless.
Important: It is important to keep in mind that all amethyst crystals will not change their color in the same way. The changes in the color of amethyst crystal depends on the specific iron impurities in the crystal, as well as the time duration of heating process and the level of temperature of UV exposure.
To know further about this, let's jump to our main intent…
How Does Amethyst Crystal Change Its Color?
The two main ways amethyst change its color due to the exposure to heat and radiation. To know how, let's understand them!
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Heat Treatment: When amethyst is being heated between 300 to 500 degree Celsius, the crystal loses its purple color and turns into orange, brown, and yellow or may even colorless.
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Radiation: Amethyst can also lose its color when in contact with the exposure to the high levels of radiation like from UV lights to X-rays. This is why to protect the amethyst from losing its color, keep it in cool and dark place.
As we have discuss how heat and radiation will affect the amethyst color, let's discuss now…
How Amethyst Get Its Color?
The purple color of amethyst comes because of aluminum and iron impurities. Depending on the degree of the impurities, its color might vary from a deep purple to a lilac tint.
Now we know how it gets its color, it is important to know…
Does Amethyst Lose Its Color In Sunlight?
Yes, amethyst can lose its color in sunlight. The high exposure of ultraviolet (UV) can damage the color centers in the amethyst crystal, causing it to change or lose its purple color. The longer amethyst stay in contact with sunlight, the more likely its color to get fade.
As we have discussed above how amethyst lose its color in sunlight, let's understand…
How Can You Restore Amethyst Color?
The important thing to keep in mind that it is hard to restore the color of the faded amethyst stone, but you can slow down the fading process by following few things.
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Keep your amethyst jewelry in a cool and dark place.
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Try to cover your amethyst jewelry with cloth when step outside in sunlight.
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Avoid exposing your amethyst crystal directly in the exposure of sunlight.
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Do not heat down your amethyst crystals.
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Be aware when cleaning your amethyst crystal, some cleaning product can damage the crystal.
Wrapping Up:
Prolonged contact to sunlight will cause amethyst to gradually fade, as UV radiation will also destroy the color centers. Here in this blog, we have discussed about how amethyst lose its color and what factors are the main reason that cause its change in color. As we have discussed that you cannot restore the color of the amethyst, you must follow the steps listed above to slow down its color fading process.
People Also Ask:
Does Amethyst Change Color Over Time?
The fading of the amethyst stone is considered normal and will happen if it is repeatedly exposed to sunlight. A good way to prevent the fading process is to keep the amethyst in a box or a dark room when not in use.
How Can You Tell If Amethyst Is Real?
Authentic gems should be slightly imperfect. There should be some color zoning and the shade should have tons of white or blue in addition to purple. A gem that is one particular shade of purple throughout is likely a fake. You should also look for things like bubbles and cracks within the amethyst.
What Color Amethyst Is Most Valuable?
Deep purple amethyst!
The most priced amethyst is “Siberian” deep purple amethyst with red and blue flashes.
