All About Red Amethyst

Red Amethyst: Complete Guide

What is Red Amethyst?

Red amethyst is a gemstone that occurs when regular amethyst accidentally mixes with hematite. Amethyst with red hematite offers us a unique stone with a deep red hue. To some, this stone will look almost maroon, or even brown. 

Red amethyst stone is found in a number of different destinations on Earth. Most amethyst deposits form in Brazil, Siberia, Sri Lanka and the Far East.

Is Red Amethyst Natural? 

There are a lot of forms of colored amethyst that require human intervention in order to exist. Exposing regular amethyst to high heat gives us our green, orange and yellow amethysts. This usually happens after the stones have been extracted from their deposits and are above ground. 
Unlike these kinds of amethysts, red amethyst actually occurs naturally beneath the surface of the Earth. During formation, generous amounts of hematite and iron creep their way into the crystalline structure, causing the body of the stone to take on the reddish hue.
Often, red amethyst only takes on this red appearance on the outside of itself and, when faceted, it displays shades more in line with regular violet amethyst. That being said, more and more deposits are being found to contain amethyst that has managed to hold the red hue all the way through. 

Is Red Amethyst Rare? 

Yes, it is safe to assume that red amethyst is extremely uncommon, and undoubtedly rare. 
There aren’t a lot of amethyst deposits in the world that have the ability to produce red amethyst in abundance. Hematite and iron are usually not found in large enough quantities that they are able to affect the entire contents of a single crystal cavity; rather, they cling to small sections of existing stones. 

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find red amethyst being sold at your local flea market, or even your neighborhood esoteric store. Red amethyst is best sourced via global sellers who have the means to ship the stone wherever it needs to get to. 

Red Amethyst Geode 

Yes, red amethyst can be found in a geode formation, however it is highly unlikely for this to happen with solid red throughout the crystalline structure. 

Every now and then, purple amethyst geodes are cracked open, only to reveal that the tips of each crystal point have taken on the red ray energy. The result is a somewhat ombre looking entity, with violet at the base, and reddish-brown toward the tips. One could describe it as amethyst with red flashes. 

A red amethyst geode is definitely a rare and unlikely find. If you do happen to ever be in the presence of one, we’d recommend doing what you need to in order to make it your own. 

Canadian Red Amethyst 

The biggest amethyst deposit in Canada is situated in Ontario. This is one of the biggest supplies for this stone on the planet, and within it there are significant amounts of authentic red amethyst. 

This is due to the mudstone area in Thunder Bay, where hematite and iron are rich within the Earth and have made their way into the deposits nearby. It’s quite an incredible phenomenon, and red amethyst from this region retails at quite a high price as a result. 

Red Capped Amethyst

‘Red capped amethyst’ is a term you’ll find being thrown around when certain retailers are describing their stones. This is another way of talking about the red violet amethyst we mentioned earlier: the kind that forms within the geodes and where only the crystal points have taken on the reddish hue. 

As mentioned, red cap amethyst is more common than amethyst that has managed to take on the red coloring all the way through the crystalline structure. 

Red Amethyst Value

The most common form of amethyst is the kind that occurs in violet ray energy. It can retail anywhere from incredibly affordable to totally exorbitant. It all comes down to the quality and location of the stones in question. 

While the price of red amethyst also depends on the quality and location of the stones in question, the majority of that which is available on the market is currently on the exorbitant side. 

Since this form of the crystal is so hard to come by, even small pieces of the stone can retail for upward of $50. Amethyst geodes with red tips are likely to trade for a few hundred dollars a piece, and are considered collectable home-display objects.