Auralite 23 is amethyst from Thunder Bay, Ontario, sold under a trade name. The 23 refers to a list of minerals sellers say it holds; that number is marketing. We do not carry it.
Quartz · Amethyst
Auralite 23
Auralita 23
- Palette
- Purple
- Mined in
- Canada
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- trade name for Thunder Bay, Ontario amethyst, with '23' a seller claim of up to 23 included minerals
- Also sold as
- Super 23, Thunder Bay amethyst, Canadian amethyst
- Intention
- Calm Protection
- Looking for
- Calm Focus and clarity Clearing negativity
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- These beads are sold as natural amethyst from Ontario and no seller we read discloses any dye or heat; check the drill hole and cracks for dye as you would with any amethyst.
Not in our pieces now
100 TONNES A YEAR
The Ontario mine record that carries the Auralite 23 name lists a 1.6-hectare quarry permitted to take out up to 100 tonnes of amethyst a year.
1993
Bill Richardson and Dan Arseneault found an amethyst-filled cavity at the Danbill site in 1993, and Richardson staked the first claim.
4-TON GEODE
A 3.7-meter-tall, 4-ton amethyst geode from Artigas, Uruguay, is displayed at the American Museum of Natural History.
What it is
Auralite 23 is a trade name for amethyst from northern Ontario, Canada, sold as points, polished pieces and beads. Seller pages say it holds 23 minerals; the stone is amethyst, and the number 23 is a marketing claim. Many pieces show iron-oxide red or gold flecks and a pale rim.
What gives it its color
The purple is amethyst, which gets its color from iron plus natural irradiation. The red and golden zones come from tiny inclusions of hematite (red platelets) and goethite (golden broom-like strands).
Where it comes from
Auralite 23 is the trade name of amethyst from the Danbill Mine in the Tartan Lake area northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
What's said about it
Today people keep it as a stone for steadying and recentering. A common practice is to hold a piece and picture violet light around you.
It borrows its older lore from amethyst. Ancient writers prized amethyst, and older lore had it settling over-excitement.
People wear it as beads or keep a point on a desk.
How people wear or keep it: In the hands, on a desk, or on the wrist.
In crystal practice
Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: in the hands, on a desk, on the wrist. People reach for it when they want calm, focus and clarity, clearing negativity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
BirthstoneFebruary
Also calledSuper 23, Thunder Bay amethyst, Canadian amethyst
Care
- Hard enough for daily wear, but it can chip on a hard knock.
- Wipe with a soft cloth and mild soapy water; rinse and dry.
- Keep out of long strong sunlight, which can fade amethyst's purple.
- Store apart from harder stones such as sapphire or topaz so they do not scratch it.
How to tell what you have
- This is a trade name for amethyst from the Thunder Bay area of Ontario, Canada, and the number 23 is a sales claim, not a mineral count. Red or gold flecks in the stone are iron-oxide minerals.
- Because it is sold by name, a bead may be a different purple stone or dyed quartz; check for dye pooling at the drill hole and ask where the lot came from.
What sets the price
Price follows the depth and evenness of the purple, how clear the stone is, and bead size and polish; the locality name adds a collector premium over plain amethyst.
Questions people ask at our table
What is Auralite 23?
It is amethyst from Thunder Bay, Ontario, sold under a trade name. The plain mineral is quartz, colored by iron.
Does it really contain 23 minerals?
Sellers say so and list minerals such as hematite, pyrite and others, but that is a marketing claim, not a rock type, and we did not find an independent source for the count. Think of it as amethyst with inclusions.
Where does it come from?
Ontario's Thunder Bay district, at a mine the provincial geological record lists as Danbill, also called Auralite 23.
Will it fade?
Like other amethyst, long strong sunlight can fade the purple, so keep it out of bright windows.
Do you carry it?
We do not carry Auralite 23, but we do carry ordinary amethyst and clear quartz.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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