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Sell With a Story: Ametrine

Sell with a story Ametrine Blog Header

Quartz is one of the earth’s most common minerals, and ametrine is a quartz gem, like the amethyst and citrine that combine to create it. That should mean it’s common, right? Guess what? Nothing could be farther from the truth. Ametrine’s unusual coloration and rarity place it in a class all its own. Better still, it is reasonably priced and goes beautifully with many fashion styles from black, grey, navy, and white to the bright shades of spring and summer.

Ametrine Crystal Gemstone Rough
Ametrine Crystal. Photo courtesy of accessgems.com

Where?

You can search the world, and you’ll find only one significant source for the bi-color beauty we call ametrine: a Bolivian mine located in a remote, heavily forested area near Bolivia’s southeastern border with Brazil. Named the Anahi Mine, it produces most if not all of the world’s gem-grade ametrine.

In search of Anahi

According to lore, a 17th-century Spanish conquistador came to the region in search of El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. Felipe de Urriola y Goitia, the conquistador, encountered the peaceful Ayoreo tribe in what we now call Bolivia and fell in love with Princess Anahi, the daughter of the Chieftain.

Gifting a mine

How did Felipe come to possess the ametrine mine? Depending on the source, Princess Anahi gave Felipe the mine as a sign of her love for him, or she married the conquistador, and her father included the mine in her dowry. I know it sounds extravagant but the Chieftain valued gold, silver, and emeralds — signs of wealth — and this mine produced pretty crystals that his daughter liked.

And the name?

Eventually, Felipe decided to return to Spain and Princess Anahi felt torn between her love for him and her love for her people. Jealousy arose among some of the tribesmen and they hatched a plan to kill Felip. Anahi warned him and he eluded the attack but she was mortally injured. She saw him one last time pressing an ametrine crystal into his hand as a symbol of their eternal love. The mine took Princess Anahi’s name then she, Felipe, and all memory of the mine faded into the mists of time.

Re-Discovery

Three centuries later in the 1960s, the Anahi Mine was rediscovered and by the 1970s, natural ametrine appeared on the market. Its eye-catching color combination and reasonable price made it a popular “new” choice. When its novelty wore off, ametrine slipped gracefully into the array of gemstones you can offer your customers. Does your customer want a large stone? She can have it without paying a fortune. We offer emerald cut ametrine in sizes up to 18×13 mm and antique cushion up to 12×10 mm.

An alternative

Ametrine’s trade name is Bolivianite. Most jewelry stores call it ametrine but you’ll sometimes see it listed as Bolivianite. This is the preferred name in Bolivia and it’s frequently used on Bolivian tourism sites.

Ametrine’s secret

There’s a good reason ametrine is rare. Its creation depends on extraordinary geological circumstances. The quartz crystal that becomes ametrine contains iron, and it needs to have more heat on one side (this produces the citrine) and less heat on the other. This results in the different rates of iron oxidation in the stone creating the bi-color gem. As far as we know, these conditions only exist in the Anahi Mine.

Ametrine’s powers

Ametrine combines the cool, mysterious powers of purple with the warm strength of sunny citrine. The dynamic combination works in our lives to —

  • Support joyful expression and a new openness to life.
  • Remove negative energy.
  • Attune our consciousness to a higher level of meditation and creativity.
  • Give us the courage to take risks
  • Bring a greater awareness of responsibility.

For our health, ametrine —

  • Strengthens nerves.
  • Improves oxygen levels in the blood to help with healing.
  • Contributes to healthy arteries.
  • Helps with eye problems.
  • Prevents dementia.

A gem cutter’s dream

With its extraordinary colors, ametrine has become a gem cutter’s dream. Here are a few examples of what these highly skilled designers achieve.

Ametrine Hexagonal Cut Gemstone
Dalan Hargrave created this 75 ct. hexagonal ametrine with a spirographic cut. It is one of a series of hexagonal stones. Photo courtesy of Dalan Hargrave.

 

Ametrine John Dyer Nebula Cut Gemstone
John Dyer’s 27.35 carat Nebula™ cut displays the stone’s two colors to elegant effect. Photo courtesy of John Dyer.

 

Ametrine Michael Dyer Optic Dishes Gemstone
Michael Dyber created this remarkable 167.89 ct. featuring Dyber Optic Dishes®. Photo courtesy of Michael M. Dyber.
Ametrine John Dyer fantasy cut gemstone
John Dyer fantasy cut is 18.99 carats. Photo courtesy of John Dyer.

Shop ametrine on Stuller.com


Scour Stuller’s ametrine stock here. And tell us how the stone sells in your store in the comments below. And lastly, don’t forget to mention us using #HowIStuller under your favorite ametrine pieces on FacebookInstagramTwitterPinterest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Raffel

I've been with Stuller since 2013 • Primarily read books on physics and other sciences • Was blown away by 'Breaking Bad' • I believe no woman can have too many boots or too much jewelry • Been writing professionally longer than I care to admit • Studied tailoring after college.