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Alexandrite Gemstones:
Read how to recognize quality in fine gemstone jewelry.
Source:
Brazil, Burma, India, Madagascar, Russia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe
Birthstone:
June (Alternate: Moonstone, Pearl)
The name
"Alexandrite" comes from the stones' ostensible discovery
on April 23, 1830, the day that young Russian Czar Alexander
Nicolajevitch II (reigned 1855 to 1881) had his "comming of
age" birthday. Alexandrite was discovered along the banks of the
Tokovaya River in the Ural Mountains of Russia. This ultra-rare
gemstone discovered in the Tokovaya River's mica schists (igneous
rock) and alluvial deposits has a unique ability to change color
(pleochroism) due to pseudochromatic coloration caused by changes in
ambient light.
Alexandrite
(aka Tsarstone) is a variety of the mineral chrysoberyl which is an
aluminate of beryllium. Chrysoberyl is usually transparent to
translucent and sometimes chatoyant. The most widely used variety of
chrysoberyl is an alexandrite. Because of alexandrite's unique
ability to absorb certain elements of the color spectrum, it can look
greenish-bluish-grey in daylight and reddish-purple (raspberry red)
under artificial light. Natural alexandrite is very rare. The finest
alexandrite crystals ever found came from the Tokovaya river deposit,
and the greatest alexandrite specimen ever found is housed in
Moscow's Fersman Mineralogical Museum.
Synthetic Alexandrite
Natural
Alexandrite is very rare. Most alexandrine found on the market today
is synthetic. From the late 1800s, synthetic alexandrine was made
using corundum which had been treated with vanadium to give it the
characteristic color-change effect. Since the early 1970s, true
synthetic alexandrite has been produced by using the
"flux-melt", "floating point", "floating
zone", and "pulled crystal" methods. There are
characteristic "rain-like" inclusions in synthetic
alexandrite that help with its identification. Most synthetic
alexandrite is produced in Japan and Russia.
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Gemstone
Rings |
Gemstone
Earrings |
Gemstone
Pendants |
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A
vibrant green oval alexandrite is complemented by a |
In
each 18k white gold earring, a single alexandrite |
Alternating
round diamonds and alexandrites, seven of |
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Birthstone
Jewelry |
Gemstone
Bracelets |
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Alexandrite
Birthstone Brilliant purple |
Well-matched
vivid round alexandrites form a |
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