What is Alexandrite?

Alexandrite (Gem version Berylia) is one of the most expensive gems in the world. It is valued because it has colors changing products. In natural light, it can look blue on blue-green, but it looks red under the inner light. Its hardness, 8.5 in Mohs scale, is particularly suitable for jewelry and its relative rarity also creates high demand for stone.

There is an amazing legend associated with how Alexandrite was discovered, as well as how it came from his current name. As the myth goes, the gem was discovered in 1834 for the sixteenth birthday of the later Russian Tsar, Alexander II. Gem was named after Alexander his discoverer Nils Gustoff Nordenskjold, a Finnish geologist.

This myth proves that it is not true, and it seems that Nordenskjold has been sent some samples from another geologist. Nordenskjold thought he was looking at the emeralds, but did not understand how the emerald could have such a different hardness. Emeralds usually have a hardness of 7.5 to 8 in scale MOHS. Then he probably discovered the characteristics of the changing stone color, but did not name Stone Alexandrite. Instead, the records show that he called stone diafanite.

Count Lion Alekseevich Perovskii is attributed to bringing a stone of the Russian royal family and perhaps renaming it. This happened well after Alexander II's sixteenth birthday. Perhaps the Tsar had the right to demand a change in the name, because the earliest offer of alexandrite was found in the Ural Mountains. Today in India, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Myanmar, Alexandrit has found good deposits. Myanmar mines are known especially for the strong properties changing the color of their gems, although there are stones mined barely the carats.

Alexandrite price is extremely high. Half on the full carat of Alexandrite of the highest quality can be up to $ 15,000 USD (USD). Quality is determined not only by the lack of shortcomings but also by the amount to which the stonechanges color. Therefore, you will probably find the best stones, especially in smaller sizes come from Myanmar. Stones exceeding the size of one carat were sold for up to $ 100,000. These gems rarely rarely greater than five carats, especially in unwavering form.

Most people are interested in the ability to change the colors of Alexandrite and especially want to know why they change colors. The GEM crystalline structure explains its special ability. The stone has what is called twice the refractive crystals that create a different refraction of light in natural or artificial lighting conditions. This is called pleochroism. The light is refractive (bent) and follows different paths depending on its type or polarization. So sunlight creates a different way through stone than inner light and creates what is called a diochroic effect (two colors exposed at different times).