The Ultimate Guide to Alexandrite Gemstones

Alexandrite is easily one of the most remarkable gemstones in the world, thanks to its dramatic color-changing abilities, known as pleochroism. Meaning “many colors” in Greek, pleochroism describes the natural phenomenon whereby a gemstone appears to shift colors from different angles, depending on the light. This happens when light passes through a mineral’s crystal structure and splits into two rays at right angles, traveling at different speeds. In the case of alexandrite, this manifests in a green to bluish-green in daylight and red to purplish-red color in incandescent light — the reason why it’s called “emerald by day, ruby by night” in the jewelry industry.

Here, we delve into alexandrite’s defining qualities to illuminate its rich history and cultural significance. Then, we cover everything you need to know about purchasing this coveted gemstone, so you can feel confident about acquiring pieces with significant alexandrite stones. 

In This Article

• What Is Alexandrite?
• Where Does Alexandrite Come From?
• Alexandrite Meaning
• Synthetic and Simulated Alexandrite 
• Alexandrite Buying Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Alexandrite Gemstones

What Is Alexandrite?

Alexandrite is a rare, strongly pleochroic gemstone that shifts between a bluish-green and a purplish-red hue. It’s a variety of the mineral chrysoberyl, and its color change is due to trace amounts of chromium ions in alexandrite’s crystal structure, which absorbs different wavelengths of color in various lights. 

As for durability, alexandrite is an 8.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. This means it’s durable for daily wear, but you should handle alexandrite jewelry with care by storing it separately from other jewelry to avoid scratches and any contact with harsh chemicals and lotions. For context, ruby and sapphire are a 9, and diamond is a perfect 10, so it’s certainly up there in terms of the most durable precious gemstones.

Read More: The 7 Most Important Precious Gemstones

Where Does Alexandrite Come From?

Miners first discovered alexandrite in 1830 in the Ural Mountains in Russia. According to legend, this finding took place on the birthday of Czar Alexander II, then heir to the Russian throne, so they named the gemstone after him. Accordingly, alexandrite became the national stone of Imperial Russia for its name and also because the gemstone shows its military colors: green and red. 

Today, Russian alexandrite is incredibly rare due to the depletion of its original source, so you’ll typically only find it in antique and vintage jewelry. However, miners have discovered other alexandrite sources over the years, including Sri Lanka, Brazil, Tanzania, Madagascar, India, and Zimbabwe. Brazil is currently the source of the finest alexandrite mined since the 19th century, when the original mine in Russia ceased operations. While Brazilian alexandrite is better in clarity and exhibits a more dramatic color change, Russian alexandrite is more valuable due to its scarcity, as it’s no longer mined. 

Alexandrite Meaning

In the mystical tradition, many believe that wearing alexandrite enhances intuition and promotes emotional healing. This precious gemstone symbolizes luck, prosperity, and balance, and June babies are fortunate to have alexandrite as one of their birthstones, along with pearl and moonstone. They have a special excuse to incorporate the extremely rare gemstone, which is one of the most expensive birthstones, into their look through June birthstone jewelry. Of course, those who aren’t born in June can still enjoy jewelry highlighting exceptional alexandrite. In the next section, we discuss the factors to consider when purchasing jewelry featuring significant alexandrite stones, as well as the expected price for the finest examples of its kind.

Synthetic and Simulated Alexandrite 

Synthetic alexandrites grow in a laboratory environment rather than forming deep in the earth’s crust over thousands of years. Alexandrite was first synthesized in the 1960s, and the most common processes include the Czochralski, hydrothermal, and flux methods. Although these synthetic alternatives produce stones that are chemically and visually identical to natural alexandrites, they are lower in value and less rare. If you’re not sure whether an alexandrite is natural, you can have it assessed by a gemologist, who can identify lab-grown gemstones using specialized equipment, paying attention to the type and number of inclusions, which are signs of synthetic alexandrite. 

There are also simulated alexandrites, which are essentially lookalikes. It’s important to verify that the stone you’re purchasing is not synthetic corundum with a similar pleochroism to alexandrite. Moreover, not all color-changing chrysoberyl is, in fact, alexandrite — it must have the specific criteria of traces of chromium that give it that coveted bluish-green to purplish-red color. Generally, treated alexandrite is uncommon in the industry, as these processes detract from the pleochroism, so that’s another red flag to be aware of when shopping for alexandrite.

Alexandrite Buying Guide

According to Omi Privé, a Los Angeles–based luxury jewelry brand specializing in large colorful gemstones, “The most important quality factor when determining the value of an alexandrite is its color change, caused by the complex way this mineral absorbs light. All other things being equal, the more dramatic the color change, the higher the value. Fine-quality stones over 1 carat are exceptionally rare.” Therefore, if you’re purchasing an alexandrite with strong bluish-green and purplish-red pleochroism, high clarity, and few inclusions, you can expect to pay $15,000 per carat and $50,000 to $70,000 per carat for alexandrites weighing more than 2 carats. 
Most alexandrite contains minor inclusions, especially those from Russia or Brazil, so it’s common for an expensive alexandrite to contain a few inclusions, as long as they’re not noticeable to the naked eye. Alexandrite with brown, yellow, or gray overtones is significantly less valuable, as these hues interfere with its color-changing abilities. Oval, cushion, and round are the most popular cuts for alexandrite because they allow for the best color change and distribution of carat weight.

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