• The month of February that includes the zodiac signs of Aquarius and Pisces has an assortment of 13 stones listed as birthstones.
• The birthstones marked for February are amethyst and bloodstone.
• The zodiac signs add on eleven more birthstones: garnet, moss agate, opal, sugilite, turquoise, jasper, aquamarine, jade, rock crystal, sapphire and ruby.

This gemstone is a member of the quartz family and has its name derived from the Greek word for sober. Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The intense violet hue of Amethyst appealed to early monarchs, perhaps because they often wore this color.

Its chemical formula is SiO₂. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue.

Amethyst is a member of the quartz family, occurring naturally as crystals within rocks. Amethyst is produced in abundance in Brazil and Zambia where it occurs in large geodes within volcanic rocks. It is also found and mined other countries known for the occurance of this gemstone include Russia, Canada, Australia, United states, Madagascar, Namibia as well as India.

• Once, amethysts were as expensive as diamonds. A rare big amethyst gem is a part of British royal crown jewels.
• Ancient Greeks & Romans believed the amethyst stone possessed powers to ward off effects of drunkenness. Thus wine was served in amethyst goblets and vessels as it would prevent intoxication.
• Amethyst was one of the stones in High priest Aaron breastplate. It is also known as bishop's stone.
• European soldiers wore amethyst amulets as protection in battle and Beads of this gemstone were found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England.
• In ancient greek folklore, Dionysius- the god of intoxication was once angered by the insult from a mortal and in vengefulness, he swore to retaliate by setting fierce beasts on the next mortal to cross his path. One young maiden called Amethystos happen to be attacked by such beasts. The goddess Diana turned the young nymph into stone to protect her from the divine beast. When Dionysius saw the beautiful quartz statue, he started crying tears of wine. It was this wine that tinted the quartz into purple.
• In another version of Greek mythology, Dionysus, the god of intoxication, was pursuing a maiden named Amethystos, who refused his affections. Amethystos prayed to the gods to remain chaste, which the goddess Artemis granted and transformed her into a white stone. Humbled by Amethystos's desire to remain chaste, Dionysus poured wine over the stone as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple.

• It is given to commemorate the 4th, 6th and 17th wedding anniversary. Besides it is gifted as a symbol of protection and love, and this makes it an ideal anniversary gift or engagement gemstone.
• Amethyst is symbolic of spirituality and piety. It has been an important part of religious ceremonies and has been used to ornament churches and crosses used in religious ceremony, and worn in rings by priests.
• Amethyst can help in getting rid of addictions (alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc.) and compulsive behaviors of all kinds
• Leonardo Da Vinci has also written about stabilizing powers of amethyst. It is known to have enormous healing powers that purify and pacify the individual.
• Other legends say that the amethyst gemstone has a control on evil thoughts, aids hunters for capturing their prey and can also make the wearer shrewd where business is concerned.
• Amethyst contains sobering and calming qualities which allow this stone to be commonly associated with peace. Amethyst is known to calm and protect the mind. It soothes those who have engaged in constant rigorous mental activity. Popularly called "nature's tranquilizer" by many healers, it helps in relaxing not only the mind but also the entire nervous system.
• Amethyst is also known to enhance mental strength, stability, and vigor.
• Amethyst is known for healing toothaches, skeletal discomforts, posture and other bone and joint-related sicknesses (like arthritis). It also helps in problems within the stomach and digestive tract, the heart and hearing disorders. It has been known to treat various types of blood disease and balancing blood sugar. Amethyst as a healing stone or crystal is used to treat and heal problems involving the central nervous system. Amethyst is a treatment for both convulsions and neuralgia.

Another birthstone listed for the month of February is Bloodstone. The name comes from the red spots on its surface that appears like blood specks. In the past, it was believed that it contained the blood of crucified Jesus Christ. Bloodstone (also called Heliotrope) is dark green with red spots (resulting from Iron Oxides). It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Bloodstone gemstone is found in Australia, Brazil, China, India, and the USA It helps in building up vitality, stamina and endurance powers of the wearer and is good for treating fever, problems of gallstone and eye problems. It helps you rise over setbacks as well as fight against aggression and violence. It helps cure all ailments related to blood.