Alexandrite is known in the jewelry world as one of the most amazing and exotic minerals. This stone is also called royal, the gem of the elite and luxury. The main feature that natural alexandrite possesses lies in its ability to change color in an amazing way depending on the degree and nature of the illumination. Such a phenomenon becomes possible due to the special structure of the mineral, as well as chromium impurities, which is part of it.
For its unique physical properties, the gem was included in the list of the most expensive stones - precious. Not surprisingly, the price of alexandrite is at the level of ruby and diamond.
Discovery history
People learned about alexandrite relatively recently. It happened in 1833, when geologists discovered a mysterious stone in the Ural Mountains. At first they mistook it for an emerald. But after, when the miner althey began to examine it under artificial lighting and it changed its color from green to red, they realized that this was not yet a studied gem.
It so happened that the stone was found on the day when the Russian emperor - Tsar Alexander II - was celebrating his birthday. An amazing mineral was perhaps the most unusual gift received by a sixteen-year-old boy. The young emperor liked the changing colors so much that he practically did not part with the stone, which was later called alexandrite. It is not surprising that very often an unusual mineral was referred to only as "royal".
The price of alexandrite was corresponding to this. The stone once and for all received the title of elite. Not everyone could afford to have this mineral. After all, its value was on a par with the most expensive diamonds, pearls and emeralds. Often all these stones were combined in one magnificent piece of jewelry.
After the death of Alexander II, the mineral became a symbol of sadness and at the same time the memory of the emperor. And after the First World War broke out, and many of the noble ladies who had jewelry with alexandrite lost their husbands because of it, the gem was also called the "widow's stone".
The two-color mineral was popular not only in Russia. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. the famous jewelry house Tiffany presented several collections of jewelry in which there was alexandrite. The English elite also preferred to have a gem. Especially popular in the country of Foggy Albionalexandrite was used during the Victorian era.
Deposits
For a long time it was believed that alexandrite is a representative of the Ural gems and a true Russian treasure. However, today its deposits in our country are almost depleted. But the good news is that the sources of extraction of this stone were also discovered in Sri Lanka, Brazil, Zimbabwe, the USA and Kenya. And on the island of Ceylon in Madagascar, a two-tone mineral of 1876 carats was found.
Due to the fact that natural alexandrite is a very rare breed, and besides, it has some peculiarities of cutting, synthetic (artificial) analogues of the stone are often used in jewelry.
Description
Natural alexandrite is a very beautiful gemstone. It is transparent and has a very pronounced glassy luster. The main distinguishing feature of the stone, which has been included in the list of Ural gems for a long time, is the ability to change its shade depending on the degree of illumination. For example, during the day, under the rays of the sun, it appears in rich green tones. The color of natural alexandrite under artificial lighting instantly changes to red-violet. That is why when the gemologist Max Bauer gave a description of the mineral in 1904, he emphasized that during the day this stone looks like an emerald, and at night like an amethyst.
Chemical composition
Natural alexandrite is classified as chrysoberyl, as it is one of the varieties of the specifiedmineral. Its chemical composition indicates that the stone is a complex aluminum and beryllium tetroxide. The mineral contains impurities not only of chromium, giving it a green color, but also iron, as well as titanium, providing reddish hues.
Knowing the chemical composition of the stone can help explain why alexandrite is such a rare mineral. The fact is that the presence of silicon is impossible during its formation. And this element is very common on earth, taking second place after oxygen on this basis.
Physical properties
Alexandrite is a stone with a high degree of hardness, which in its values exceeds those of an emerald. Another distinctive physical property of a two-color mineral is the reverse effect. It is also called the "alexandrite effect". This property lies in the ability to change the shade under different lighting conditions. Experts explain such an unusual effect by the ability of the gem to absorb a certain range of colors, which is associated with the unique structural features of the crystal lattice of the mineral.
Jewelers know that on the Mohs scale, the hardness of natural alexandrite reaches 8.5 units. At the same time, its density is in the range from 3.5 to 3.84 grams per cubic centimeter.
Cost
As a rule, people just don't realize how much an amazing two-tone mineral can cost. As mentioned above, in nature such a stone is found very rarely. Morerarely come across gems weighing more than three carats. But large and at the same time transparent and pleasing to the eye with rich colors in any lighting conditions are considered simply unique, which is why they are listed in special catalogs.
That is why any jewelry with natural alexandrite - a ring, earrings, bracelet or pendant - is an exclusive product and at its price available only to very rich people. They are made to order, and then placed in private collections. Keep their owners as their treasures.
Those who wish to buy, for example, a ring with natural alexandrite, must visit the auction. It is here that the final price of the product will be formed. It is worth noting that sometimes complex jewelry can be sold at auction for $1 million.
Gem cost depends on the following:
- weights;
- color reverse depth;
- mineral purity.
Prices for many gemstones are based on their color. But such a criterion does not apply to alexandrite at all. Its color is not tied to the price. There is no consensus among jewelers on this characteristic. So, some experts believe that the most expensive should be stones that have a rich evening red tone. Others believe that attention should be paid to the depth of the daytime green tint.
Varieties
Depending on the deposit, alexandrite happens:
- Indian. This gem is famous for its gorgeous bluish color.green tone that can be seen in daylight.
- Uralsky. These minerals are considered the brightest, purest and most beautiful. In daylight, they become emerald green, and in artificial light, they turn into red-violet.
- Brazilian. In terms of the contrast of the transition, they significantly lose to the Ural ones. Illuminated by the rays of the sun, they look olive green.
- Mineral of Sri Lanka. This alexandrite, on the other hand, loses in artificial light, turning brown.
Healing properties
In alternative medicine, there is a separate direction - lithotherapy. She is studying the effect of natural stones on the human body.
Lithotherapists consider alexandrite to be healing. This property they associate with the duality of the color of the mineral, which symbolizes venous and arterial blood. That is why the stone is recommended to be used for:
- treatment of pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
- improve blood circulation process;
- strengthening and cleansing of blood vessels;
- stop bleeding.
Alternative medicine also considers alexandrite a stone that has a positive effect on the functioning of the spleen, pancreas and liver.
Magical Properties
Mystics of the 19th century. believed that alexandrite is able to restore harmony between the mental and physical body of a person. They believed that the mineral could give its owner balance, calmness and prudence, as well as make him more sociable.
Who suits alexandrite? He is considered a stone of people who are strong in spirit, as well as confident in their actions. The gem will surely bring happiness, success and glory to them.
Belonging to the signs of the zodiac
According to astrologers, alexandrite is most suitable for those born under the constellations of Gemini, Taurus, Aries and Scorpio. The stone will make these people more balanced and calm, transferring their energy in the right direction.
It is not recommended to wear jewelry with natural alexandrite for Virgos, Cancers and Pisces. The mineral is able to suppress these very receptive and emotional people.
Use in jewelry
Where is alexandrite used? The jewelry business is its only scope. As a rule, the mineral is used to make inserts in pendants, necklaces, rings and earrings. Specialists subject it to a brilliant (usually drop-shaped) or step cut. This gem is especially beautiful in combination with rubies, emeralds and pearls.
Alexandrite is usually found in gold or platinum. It is with these precious metals that the stone combines best.
Manufacture of analogues
Alexandrite, being a stone of fantastic beauty, is a welcome guest of millions of women. But only a few can buy jewelry with him. And this is exactly the case when jewelers have the prospect of making good money on making fakes. And it is worth noting that the experts succeeded in this matter. On theTo date, millions of jewelry have already been sold that have a fake crystal inserted. However, the buyers were satisfied. After all, it is difficult to distinguish an analogue of a mineral from a natural sample.
Fakes today are made in several ways:
- With artificial crystal growth.
- Using glass.
- When making imitations based on natural stones.
Detection of fakes
Natural alexandrite is a rarity in the jewelry world. That is why when buying it, in order not to pay impressive amounts for an analogue, you need to make sure of the natural origin of the mineral.
How to distinguish natural alexandrite from crafts? The first step on this path is to view the relevant certificates, which must be requested from the seller. These documents will be able to confirm the natural origin of the gem. But even this will not be enough. Certificates must be checked for authenticity by calling the inspection or the laboratory that issued them to the seller. When confirming the documents, you can be sure that the stone is natural.
And what if there are no certificates? You can distinguish a natural mineral from an analogue by applying the necessary method, which is selected depending on the method of making the imitation.
If a synthetic stone is inserted into a piece of jewelry, it is impossible to distinguish it from a natural one by eye. According to gemologists and jewelers, fakes can look better on the outside thannatural crystals. In this case, only a specialist can give an accurate conclusion. The buyer, first of all, needs to pay attention to the following:
- On the size of the stone. In nature, it is found only up to 3 carats. With a larger size, you can argue about a fake.
- On the shade. Artificial alexandrite is pure.
- On the shape of small air bubbles in the stone. In an artificial counterpart, they are represented by spheres, and in a natural mineral - by drops.
- On colors. The artificial gem never has yellow tones, and in the sun it turns purple.
The definition of a fake, in the manufacture of which natural stones were used, must be entrusted to a specialist. But artificial alexandrite, made of glass, is the easiest to determine. Such minerals have two disadvantages:
- Their hardness is quite low, ranging from only 5.5 to 6 units. This allows you to leave a mark on the artificial crystal with a needle or pin.
- Refraction of light. If a fake is placed under the rays of the sun, then on the faces of the stone you can see all the colors of the rainbow.
