February birthstone: amethyst
The February birthstone is amethyst, the purple variety of quartz.
How to read it
Amethyst has been the birthstone for February since the 1912 list. The International Gem Society describes it as crystalline quartz ranging from pale lilac to deep reddish purple.
Also searched as: amethyst birthstone, birthstone for February, Feb birthstone.
Where the name comes from
GIA traces the name to the Greek amethystos, "a remedy against drunkenness", a benefit long ascribed to the stone.
More birthstones
Sources
- February Birthstone: Amethyst (GIA), Gemological Institute of America
- Birthstone Chart: Modern and Traditional Birthstones, International Gem Society
- The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, by George Frederick Kunz, 1913, J. B. Lippincott (Project Gutenberg edition)
Last reviewed September 27, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research