Alexandrite

Item Description

Alexandrite is the color changing variety of Chrysoberyl. The very first Alexandrite crystals and gem came from Russia, and are valuable collectors stones today. The term "Alexandrite-type" color change is often used when a stone changes from a warmer hue i.e., pink to a cooler hue i.e., green or blue when expose to different light sources i.e., indoor lighting and sunlight. This color change is extremely rare and is only exhibited in a few gems around the world. In the 1980s, there was a discovery of some fine quality gem Alexandrite from the Girdlestone Farm in Zimbabwe. This "Round" cut stone came out of an old stash of gems from a recent collection acquisition and are some of the best Zimbabwean Alexandrite on the market in many years. The gem is translucent for all intents and purposes and exhibits a decent color change as it shifts from a soft silvery-blue-green hue in sunlight to a more of a soft pinkish-silvery color in halogen lighting. It was VERY difficult to illustrate the color change, and it honestly shows a different hue in various temperature light sources. Top Alexandrite gems from contemporary localities can retail for a few thousand dollars per carat on the high end market, and this gem is a decent representative example of the material.