As you can see from the above list of names, Princess Amethyst had slightly different identities in different countries. But the standout name from the selection - the one that really doesn't fit - is Sparkle - the name used in North America. In spite of that, this is the name most commonly used on the internet for this pony. In the animated series, the name used was actually Lilac, which would have been better. Sparkle is not very original, and, over here, clashes with a later Princess pony release. With most of the other princesses, the gemstone chosen is uniform, but in Germany, she was known as Opal - which I think is quite nice.

As most countries went with the theme of gemstones, this will be the last time I will refer to her by her American name :) Majority rules.

Princess Amethyst, Hugster and Spiny

The main difference between Amethyst's releases in North America and the UK, as mentioned on the main Princess page, is the attendant. In the North American release, she came with Hugster, an aqua furball with a purple crown. He looks more like a bouncer than an attendant, but at least he's smiling!

Princess Amethyst's Accessories and Packaging.

We have to talk about hats. Amethyst is the one weird outlier princess in the UK and European releases. It's where the whole theme breaks down and really leaves you wanting to tear out your hair in confusion.

The pictured Amethyst, shown above, is wearing the hat we know she was sold with in North America. She was also consistently illustrated with this hat in the UK. But...seldom if ever sold with it. All anecdotal evidence from childhood collectors suggest she was sold with the hat that should belong to Princess Sapphire - purple with yellow ribbons, moon and stars pattern. This is backed up my mint in package examples, including those sold in different locations. There is next to no evidence that Amethyst was ever sold with her pink hat here...nor that she ever had a replacement hat lined up. She is the only Princess to have a hat in the UK which does not include her symbol design in the pattern. Really. What were they thinking?!

As mentioned on the main Princess page, accessories can be inconsistent, and this may be in part because this set continued over two years. The accessories listed at the top of the page are based on proven Mint in Box ponies, but Lady Guinevere's survey of Princess Ponies indicates some variation in what each pony came with. If trying to match up your childhood ponies to the accessories you have, please do check it out and see whether yours is an exception rather than the rule.

As far as I know, Amethyst was sold with a puffy sticker through till 1988, although puffy stickers were withdrawn at the end of 1987. Although not common on the second hand market, they are easier to come by than those belonging to Mountain Boys or Movie Stars, suggesting they could have overrun this time limit. The stickers omitted the title of Princess, and just used the gemstone name.

 Princess Amethyst was sold in box in the UK, in North America, probably in the Netherlands, Nordic Countries, and in Italy. She was sold on card in Germany and France. Each packaging style met the conventions of the original year of release. The Princess Pony's UK box featured the curled y on the rainbow logo, even though the release extended into 1987 - the packaging was not updated. The box design featured Dream Castle in the clouds, and a grassy meadow with a path. Pearl and Amethyst were pictured in the clouds, while the four earth ponies were shown on the grass. The example shown below is from Princess Pearl.

An additional variation on Princess Amethyst (Opal) was sold in German speaking countries sometime around 1988 or 1989. She was most likely sold on card, and had coral hair instead of aqua.

Princess Amethyst's Ill-fated Artistry
(Pictured wearing Pretty as a Picture Play & Wear)
My Little Pony Annual 1988, UK