0.28ct FANTASTIC!!! PHENOMENAL RAREST!!!! 100% AAAA GENUINE NATURAL ALEXANDRITE
FULL COLOUR CHANGE
MAKE AN AWESOME RING OR PENDANT
Alexandrite is one of the rarest of all colored gemstones available today. More specifically, it is an extremely rare color change variety of chrysoberyl (a cyclosilicate). Despite its name, chrysoberyl, which is an aluminate of beryllium, does not actually belong to the beryl mineral group, but rather, it is classified as its own independent mineral group.
The color change phenomenon seen in alexandrite is referred to as the 'alexandrite effect'. The change in color can be observed under certain lighting conditions, typically under daylight and incandescent lighting. Alexandrite is also a strongly pleochroic gem. It can display emerald green, red, orange and yellow colors depending on which angle the stone is viewed from. The pleochroic properties of alexandrite are completely independent from its unique color change ability. Typically, alexandrite exhibits an emerald-green color in daylight, and raspberry-red under incandescent lighting. Alexandrite can also occur with yellowish and pink colors, and extremely rare specimens can exhibit chatoyancy (cat's eye) effects when cut en cabochon. The color change 'alexandrite effect' is a result of the strong absorption of light in the yellow and blue portions of the color spectrum.
The original source for alexandrite was in the Ural region of Russia, but these mines have long been depleted. For quite some time, the worked out mines of the Urals were thought to have been the only source for large alexandrite stones, specifically specimens weighing 5 carats or more, but very recently in 1987, large specimens were discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Other sources for alexandrite include Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Tanzania, India (Andhra Pradesh) and Madagascar.
PICTURE IS ENLARGED
Gem Type: FANTASTIC!!! PHENOMENAL!!! 100% GENUINE AAA Natural ALEXANDRITE
Shape: OVAL
Quantity: 1
Total Weight: 0.28cts
Colour: Green to Purplish Red
Clarity: VVS
Size: 5 x 4mm
Treatment: unheated
Origin: AFRICA
Hardness: 8.5 MOH'S SCALE
