Etsom·ni·a (/etˈsämnēə/), noun, 1. a sleep disorder caused by obsessive Etsy browsing. 2. The surprising arrival of weird handmade merchandise ordered when one is only half conscious. (True story.) 3. An excuse for me to be an obnoxious, snarky New Yorker once per week.

Faceted amethyst above by TheOceangemsStudio.

If you are a regular reader, you have probably figured out that purple is one of my favorite colors. I have an October birthday, and my birthstone is opal, with which I have a complicated relationship. Most cheap opals are unattractively yellowish-white with almost no fire. Until I started buying higher-end opals for myself, the ones I received were pretty uniformly disappointing. But lucky February, while they have the worst weather (and October kind of has the best), has a fantastic birthstone, amethyst. So I thought it would be fun to take a look at some amethyst items on Etsy.

One of the things I love about amethyst is that even when it’s inexpensive, it’s still a good color. Of course, you can still overspend on amethyst jewelry, but you don’t need to spend thousands to get something wonderful! Whether simply presented or part of a complex whole, amethyst is one of my favorites.

For more Etsy fun, check out all my weekly Etsomnia™ posts!