Amethyst

Amethyst was a fancy stone related to agates and other varieties of quartz but held a higher value.

Description
Gem quality amethysts could be a light to deep purple, but the deep "royal" hues were the most highly valued. Amethysts were usually facet cut to show off their brilliance. A typical specimen had a base value of 100 gp.

Powers
Amethyst was one of the "nine secrets" used in the creation of ioun stones. This stone could also be used in the casting of spells that facilitated communication, such as magic mouth. Powdered and used in magic ink, it was used to make scrolls of these same spells. The best time of day to use amethyst as a component or ingredient was mornbright.

Crushed amethyst was also a spell component required for casting Nezram's amethyst aura.

Reputation
Folktales said that this stone could prevent intoxication and neutralize poisons so they were frequently used to decorate the drinking vessels of the nobility. In reality, they had no such abilities. It was said that if amethysts appeared in a woman's dream, it represented romance. In the language of oracles and seers, amethyst represented safety.