Amethyst is the birthstone for February, such a beautiful stone to represent the month of love as it's said to strengthen relationships and give its wearer courage. Unlike many birthstones that come in many different colours, amethyst comes in any hue - as long as it's purple. But, this could be a blessing, as purple is supposed to be most women's favourite colour - the colour purple represents nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. No wonder then that it's such a favourite.

At one time, only royalty could wear amethysts, and the stone is included in many royal crowns all over the world, from ancient Egypt to the British Crown jewels. Ancient Greeks thought that the amethyst guarded against drunkenness, although why anyone would want to guard against the noble pursuit of getting drunk is unimaginable.

Amethyst at one point held a value to the diamond - however, as large pipelines of the stone were found in South America, supply became more plentiful and the value dropped. Now the amethyst is seeing a resurgence in popularity with celebrities, especially on the red carpet - and no wonder as purple is perfect if you want to get noticed.