Many more years ago than I care to remember, one of my school chums dug for amethyst. This is a popular activity around the city of Thunder Bay in Northern Ontario where the largest amethyst mine in North America is located. She brought back a bag of it for me and I have kept it all of these years although I parted with some when a family member received a rock tumbler one Christmas.
Amethyst was once a popular and valuable gemstone before extensive deposits of it were found worldwide. It is a purple variety of quartz and the official mineral of Ontario.
It was once believed that amethyst protected its owner from intoxication!
References
Amethyst Mining in Thunder Bay
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