Interesting Facts about Alexandrite Gemstones
- Traditionally June is the Birth Month for the Alexandrite
- The anniversary date for the gem stone is on the 45th and 55th year
- The Round Alexandrite helps with self esteem
- When first discovered in Russia it is considered a good luck charm
- Visit alexandrite wholesale as well as diamonds
On 17 April 1834, the Russian Empire was celebrating the sixteenth birthday of the future Tsar Alexander II, one of the most controversial characters in Russian history. At around the same time, a color changing gemstone was found in the Urals's Izumrudnye Kopi (Emerald mines) on the Tokovaya River, 85 versts (96 kilometres) to the east of Ekaterinburg and the noble story of the most scarce and fascinating precious stone was born and irrevocably associated with Alexander II, through being named in his honor Alexandrite.
Gemstone alexandrite is a color change variety of chrysoberyl. The closer the colors are to pure green and red, the higher the value. The second consideration is the amount of color change. Alexandrite can exhibit everything from 100% to just 5% color change. Clarity is another significant grading factor. As with most gems, the majority of what nature offers us is cabbing grade, not clean faceable material. However, with alexandrite, the color change has more effect on value than clarity. For example, say you had two gems weighing a half-carat each. One gem is eye clean, with a 50% brownish/red to greenish/blue color change. The other, an opaque cab with a 100% green to red color change, would be higher in value. Size is always a significant factor in value. The largest Alex known is a yellow/green gem weighing 74.4 carats. The largest Russian gems are about 30 carats. However, the vast majority of alexandrite are under one carat. You can see this reflected in our Price Guide. In sizes up to one carat, top quality natural gems sell for $25,000. Over one carat, the prices range from $60,000 to $1,000,000 per carat!
The most sensational feature about this stone, however, is its surprising ability to change its color. Green or bluish-green in daylight, alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities.
It is basically a chrysoberyl, a mineral consisting of colourless or yellow transparent chrysoberyl, chrysoberyl cat’s eye and colour-changing alexandrite (also in cat’s eye varieties). It differs from other chrysoberyls in that it not only contains iron and titanium, but also chromium as a major impurity. And it is this very element which accounts for the spectacular color change. Rarely, vanadium may also play a part. According to CIBJO nomenclature, only chrysoberyls displaying a distinct change of colour may be termed alexandrite.
But unlike many others, its formation required specific geological conditions. The chemical elements beryllium (a major constituent in chrysoberyl) and chromium (the coloring agent in alexandrite) have contrasting chemical characteristics and do not as a rule occur together, usually being found in contrasting rock types. Not only has Nature brought these contrasting rock types into contact with each other, but a lack of the chemical element silica (the second most common element in the Earth's crust) is also required to prevent the growth of emerald. This geological scenario has occurred only rarely in the Earth's history and, as a result, alexandrite crystals are very scarce indeed. |
