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durability of amethyst

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Sam82

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So, I''m looking to buy an amethyst right hand ring. How durable is amethyst? If I wear it 2-3 times a week, will it look like crap in a year or two? Is there a way to keep it looking good? The ring that I really want is almost $1,000. I want something that I can wear for years.
 

T L

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Quartz (the mineral that amethyst is) is around 7 on the Moh''s scale. I think it''s got decent durability, but just be careful knocking it around too much. It will chip if you wear it every single day, but it won''t look like it''s been through rifle practice like a tanzanite would if you wore that everyday.
 

FrekeChild

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Ditto TL. Can we see a pic of the ring?
 

chrono

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It''ll be fine if you are very careful with it. It won''t look like crap but you''ll probably see some facet wear and tear.
 

Sam82

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Date: 3/17/2009 9:20:00 PM
Author: Chrono
It''ll be fine if you are very careful with it. It won''t look like crap but you''ll probably see some facet wear and tear.
How long does the wear and tear take? I don''t want to pay all of that moneh to see wear and tear after a year. Is there anything that can be done?
 

chrono

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There''s not much you can do about it if you plan on wearing it very often. It is a softer stone that just isn''t meant for everyday wear. If you remove it everyday when you get home and be extremely aware of your hands, it''ll probably last a few years before it starts to look pretty bad.
 

innerkitten

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It will be fine if you''re careful with it. When I was younger I had an amethyst ring I wore everyday, all the time, and everywhere. After about a year it had a frosted look to it.

I wear my rings pretty hard. But these days I''m better with my rings, I take them off to do the dishes and shower and I don''t sleep with them. I''m not as careful with my engagement ring because it''s a diamond.
 

movie zombie

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you can have it polished.........

mz
 

T L

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It depends how hard you are with your jewelry. Someone like me who takes it off when sleeping, and I am very careful with my hands, wouldn''t chip the stones as easily. Someone like my mother, on the other hand, would make a diamond look like a piece of chewed up plastic in a week. She even admits this.
 

karee888

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Date: 3/18/2009 12:02:29 AM
Author: movie zombie
you can have it polished.........


mz
I am also planning to get an amethyst ring. I am very careful with my rings. It would be in a rotation, and not worn more than twice a week is my guess. How does one go about getting it polished? Does it harm the stone at all?
 

chrono

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Polishing the gemstone will remove fine scratches, tiny nicks and scuff marks. You will lose a very small amout of carat weight but it will not be noticeable to the eye. It can only be done by a professional lapidary.
 

Sam82

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I''m surprised that the ring would look bad after only a year or two (after wearing it only 2X a week). I don''t work with my hands. I take off my jewelry as soon as I enter the house. I''m nervous now because I think that $900 is too much to spend on something that will not last long.
 

mayachel

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I would be more concerned about the color fading. I have had terrible luck keeping my amethyst jewelry brilliant. I have an earring and necklace set that is about 5 years old...I wear the earrings much more frequently than the necklace-once a month vs. 3x a year? And there is a marked difference in color.

ETA: The ring you are looking at, IS very pretty.
 
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