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This is one from my Lapidary Museum visit in April - this is a hand carved punch bowl made from one block of German amethyst. The stone was not of gem quality but the color was too beautiful not use it in some way. The ancient Romans and Greeks wore amethyst and used it for drinking vessels to ward off drunkenness. The best varieties of Amethysts can be found in Siberia, Sri Lanka, Brazil and the far East. The largest opencast amethyst vein in the world is in Maissau, Lower Austria. Amethyst occurs at many localities in the United States. Among these: Gila and Maricopa Counties, Arizona; near Ft Collins, Colorado; Amethyst Mountain, Texas; Yellowstone National Park; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Haywood County, North Carolina; Deer Hill and Stow, Maine and in the Lake Superior region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario in Canada. Amethyst is relatively common in Ontario, and in various locations throughout Nova Scotia. The largest amethyst mine in North America is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. (some info from Wikipedia)