Today I wanted to talk a bit about my all-time favorite gemstone, Alexandrite. It’s a fascinating gem and I’m lucky enough to have the chance to work with the lab-grown variety of Alexandrite on almost a daily basis. It’s our most popular gemstone at Stag & Finch, and I wanted to share a bit of information with those who are less familiar with this striking gem.
Introduction to Alexandrite
Alexandrite was first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the early 19th century. Named after the Russian Tsar Alexander II, this gemstone quickly gained popularity due to its remarkable color-changing properties. It was revered for its ability to shift hues from green in daylight to red under candlelight. Today natural alexandrite can be found in several different locations including Russia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tanzania, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and India. Even though alexandrite can be found in small quantities in many of the gem-bearing nations from around the world, it is still exceptionally rare and is one of the most coveted and expensive gemstones in the world.
Lab-Grown Alexandrite
Today Alexandrite is also available in lab-grown varieties which makes it accessible to a much wider audience, allowing gemstone enthusiasts to enjoy the highest quality of Alexandrite without breaking the bank. Lab-grown Alexandrite can be produced using several different complex methods that re-create the conditions necessary for this gem's natural formation in nature. Stag & Finch prefers to use Lab Alexandrite grown using the Czochralski Pulled method, which creates an exceptionally high-quality alexandrite gem crystal that has extremely high clarity with rich vibrant colors, and exceptional color change.Â
There are also several Alexandrite simulants widely available. A few examples might be color-change lab-grown sapphire, color-change CZ, and color-changing glass of various types. None of these stimulants are considered to be real Alexandrite, but can have a similar color-changing effect that can be convincing to an untrained eye. True lab-created Alexandrite possesses an indistinguishable chemical composition and mimics the same internal crystal structure as natural Earth-mined Alexandrite.
Color Changing Beauty
The mesmerizing color change exhibited by Alexandrite is a result of a phenomenon called pleochroism. The special pleochroic nature of the crystalline structure within alexandrite will display a distinctly different color along 3 different color axes. This is separate from Alexandrite’s color change properties and adds to the wide varieties of colors visible under almost any wavelength of visible light. In daylight or cooler fluorescent light, Alexandrite can appear to have varieties of blues, greens, and purples, while under warmer incandescent light, it transforms into shades of red, purplish-red, or raspberry. It can become a fun experience to discover new colors when viewing an alexandrite under new or different kinds of lighting.
Alexandrite Care
Lab alexandrite is a durable gemstone with a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale (where sapphire is a Mohs 9, and diamond Mohs 10), but like all gems, it is still important to handle it with care. It is a great gem choice for a daily wear ring, but it should be protected from scratches and direct impacts to keep looking its best. Cleaning lab alexandrite with mild soapy water and a soft brush is usually sufficient to keep it sparkling.
** All alexandrite gemstones displayed in this article were cut and photographed by Stag & Finch **