Alexandrite – Magical Change of Color
Natural Alexandrite, is a gemstone that transforms from a crystal clear olive green to a pinkish purple called as the Alexandrite effect.
An extremely rare and valuable gemstone, the Alexandrite is most often used in the jewelry business. Noted to be rarer than a diamond, these spectacular gemstones create an illusion to feast your eyes on. While Alexandrite rings and other jewelry items look really stunning the fact is that most of the people won’t have the chance to have it or see it in person, because natural Alexandrite is a very rare stone.
A special gemstone, it is one that changes color from day to night. That is the reason when it was initially discovered by a French mineralliest in the year 1830, it was first thought to be an emerald stone.
Key Properties of Alexandrite
This impressive gem, with the hardness 8.5 is very easy to maintain and care for. Owners of this stone don’t even have to be over careful with it because it’s very durable and ideal for use in jewelry.
This gemstone was first found in Russia in the Ural mountain ranges. Today after gemological advancements and discoveries, we know that there are other places where this color changing stone is mined. Although a limited resource, India, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Africa help sustain the demand for natural alexandrite.
Know the Magical Quality of Alexandrite Stone
A fascinating feature of the natural Alexandrite stone is, it changes color. It provides green or bluish-green color in daylight while a soft shade of red or purplish-red in incandescent light. The optical transformation coupled with the rarity of the Alexandrite makes it a valuable gemstone. A top quality Alexandrite stone in large sizes is usually unthinkable as this stone is mostly available under 2 carats. When looking to buy a natural alexandrite gemstone, do some research beforehand, as it will only help you to find the right piece for the right price.
Round mixed cut gems and cushion mixed cuts are the some of the most demanded shapes, which tend to bring out the best color in the gemstone. In addition, Alexandrite is both rare and expensive and discounted Alexandrites are available in the synthetic variety. Many people prefer to use synthetic Alexandrite to add that extra fashionable addition to their jewelry pieces like rings, pendants and much more.
What makes Alexandrite so special is not only the fact that it’s very rare, but also its ability to take on different colors in different lighting conditions.