Our Gems

Alexandrite

History and Folklore

Alexandrites were said to have been discovered by mineralogist Nils Gustoaf Nordenskiöld (1792-1866) on the sixteenth birthday of Alexander II. He named the stone in honor of the future Tsar Alexander II of Russia. While a popular story of the discovery of alexandrites, this story is controversial to some, only adding to the mystic of this rare gem.

Facts and Information

The material that displays a color change in the chrysoberyl species are called alexandrites. This color appears in daylight - green, bluish green, yellowish, brownish yellow, greyish and changes to red, purplish red, orange or brownish red in incandescent light. Alexandrite from the Ural Mountains in Russia have the “ideal” color change - green to red or purplish red. Because of their rarity and color change capability, these gems are often expensive, and larger stones can be quite rare.

Alexandrite, along with pearls, are considered the birthstones for June. Because these stones are so rare and valuable, cutters will cut the largest stone from the rough and many times they are non-standard sizes.

 Gemstone Identification and Characteristics

  • R.I.: 1.746 - 1.755 (+.004, -.006)
  • Hardness: 7.5 - 8
  • S.G.: 3.73 (+.02, -.02)
  • Species: Chrysoberyl

Cleaning Methods

  • Steamer or ultrasonic
  • Warm, soapy water

Major Sources

  • Russia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Brazil
  • India