Alexandrite gemstone meaning, birthstone, Alexandrite properties

Alexandrite is a type of chrysoberyl, capable of changing its color depending on the lighting. Alexandrites have a green hue in daylight and becomes violet-red in artificial light.

At first time this stone feature saw Finnish mineralogist N. Nordenskiold. In April 1834 about 85 miles east of Yekaterinburg (Russia) in the placers of the river current, he found a new mineral. Its green color became blood red in the flame. Observing this alexandrite feature, he wrote that “the green morning replaced by bloody night at this stone”.

WHAT IS ALEXANDRITE MEANING

“ Alexandrite stone” was named in 1842 in honor of Russian Crown Prince Alexander, which became in 1855 the Emperor Alexander II. After his assassination in 1881 alexandrite jewelry have become particularly popular among Russian monarchists.

The variability of its color alexandrites must impurity of trivalent chromium. The change in color of minerals with changing lighting jewelers call “reverse” (Latin meaning «turn”). Alexandrite has this feature in full.

Sometimes alexandrites called “Ural chrysoberyl”. At the beginning of XX century in the Urals there has been extracted about 80 kilograms of precious stones. For a long time alexandrite gemstone was considered a purely Russian minerals, but later his fields were discovered outside of Russia. Now alexandrites mined in Brazil, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Madagascar, the United States, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.

Alexandrite is the most valuable form of chrysoberyl. The main thing that you want to know the lover of these stones are what they are extremely rare and therefore very expensive. The best examples in the daylight showing a beautiful green color that is in artificial light (except fluorescent) changes to red Burgundy color.

Perhaps the most serious errors in assessing the gems relating to changing the color of the artificial spinels and corundum, when they take over alexandrites. Dishonest traders stones in Egypt sold these artificial stones unsophisticated buyers, arguing that they were real, as produced in the city of Alexandria, in whose honor they named (erroneous approval, by the way).

The value of genuine alexandrite stone depends on the intensity and beauty of the change in color. The cost of low-quality samples whose color changes to a dirty-brown (usually stones from Sri Lanka), is not above a few hundred pounds per carat. But the price of gem, which changes color to deep red, can reach many thousands of pounds per carat (usually stones from Siberia), in addition, highly valued rare form of “cat’s eye”.

The easiest way to distinguish alexandrite with a refractometer (refractive index – 1,74-1,75), alexandrite also has the dark absorption lines in the red end of the spectrum when checking spectroscopy. However, this test is available only professional.

ALEXANDRITE JEWELRY

In the XX century, during excavations in Kiev Khan’s burial (Ukraine) dating from the XII century, on the fourth finger of Polovtsian lord was found a massive gold ring with a large alexandrites. This is probably one of the oldest and most reliably dated alexandrite ring.

The largest crystal of alexandrite weighing around 5 kg (25×15 cm) is located in Mineralogical Museum in Moscow (Russia). The largest faceted alexandrite weighing 66 carats is stored in the USA, in the famous Smithsonian Institution (Washington).

Today alexandrites valued very highly, second only to diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire.

Even a small alexandrite pendant with a modest natural stone can be evaluated in hundreds of dollars.

Note that when buying alexandrite jewelry must be careful, because its properties to change color have also synthetic corundum, which have no magical and healing properties. “Alexandrite” effect of artificial stones attached to the impurity of vanadium.

In the first half of XX century in Russia for sale there have been many inexpensive jewelry with syntetic alexandrite. During the Second World War, many women wore such stones have lost their husbands. Thus was born the modern legend of Alexandrite as “widow’s stone”. Ostensibly to neutralize such a fatal property of alexandrite gemstone may be, if worn stone paired with another gem.

ALEXANDRITE HEALING PROPERTIES

According to popular belief, the appearance of yellow color in alexandrite warn its owner of danger or illness. That is why alexandrite is sometimes called the “prophetic stone.” It is believed that the jewellery with alexandrite promote spiritual renewal of the owner, balancing his mind and emotions.

Occasionally alexandrite can bring the owner especially difficult tests to check its strength. Alexandrite is called a stone of strong people, because only strong-willed person can overcome all the hardships of fate and then get a well-deserved reward, which again gave him changeable stone.

Alexandrite gem in Europe was considered a symbol of fall in and jealousy for its changeable color. In Sri Lanka and India alexandrite is a stone of luck, prosperity and longevity. Mediums used to enhance the ability of alexandrites to see through the future intuitively.

In Tibetan treatise “Chzhud-Shi” is referred to the legendary rock “vayduriam”. This is a rare form of alexandrite effect cat’s eye. Vayduriam is a sacred stone. It helps to understand the language of magicians of birds and animals, and ordinary people gives you peace of mind, vision and healing of all diseases.

Alexandrite properties have a positive effect on the human nervous system. It is believed that the duality of the color of alexandrite magically connected with two kinds of human blood – venous and arterial. Therefore believe that Alexander enhances hematopoiesis, cleans blood and strengthens blood vessels.

Litoterapevty also believe that alexandrite healing properties can help in the treatment of the spleen and pancreas. Hindus believe that alexandrites protect against alcoholism, scabies and even leprosy.

Alexandrite ring must be removed before bedtime. It is usually put on the night in the water and drank a few sips of this water in the morning.