Alexandrite

Alejandrita, Aleksandriidina, Aleksandriitti, Aleksandritas, Aleksandryt, Alessandrite, Alexandriet, Alexandrit, Alexandrita, Александрит, アレキサンドライト, 亞歷山大石


Commonly known      rarer (so called collectors stones)      very rare (rarities)      relatively rare organic material


⇐ Intro Page ⇐ Gemstones



Formula: BeAl2O4
Mineral class: oxides
Crystal system: orthorhombic
Mohs scale: 8.5
Density (g/cm3): 3.64 - 3.68
Refractive index: 1.746 - 1.755
Colors: green (in variations) to blueish / violet in daylight, orange to reddish / violet in artificial light. The color change effect is based on traces of chromium which partially replaces the aluminium.
Transparency: transparent
Luster: vitreous
Fluorescence: red
Pleochroism / Trichroism: strong. X= red - violet, Y= orange, Z= green
Ural / Russia: profound red - yellow orange - green blue
Andhra Pradesh / India:
Sri Lanka: red - orange - green
Mogok / Myanmar: purple - grass green - green blue
Minas Gerais / Brazil: dark red - orange-yellow - green
Tunduru / Tanzania:
"Alexandrite effect":
Alexandrite is a trichroic gemstone which may absorb and reflect light differently in each of its three optical directions. However, it is not the trichroism that is responsible for the remarkable change. The color change phenomena is a result of the presence of Cr3+ ions, and the way they are absorbed and reflected ... In alexandrite, where the Cr absorption band is at 580nm and right between ruby red (550nm) and green emerald (600nm), the stone is balanced between them. When the light is balanced (daylight), the stone will be green but when the light source is reddish (incandescent), the stone appears red.
(Source: www.multicolour.com)
Largest Alexandrite: rough: "The Saurer Alexandrite" from Brazil (122,400 ct). Faceted: 66 ct, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. (source: www.alexandrite.net)
Deposits: Brazil, India, Russia, Tanzania, Australia, Madagascar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, USA, Zimbabwe
Name: in honor of the Russian Tsar Alexander II
History:
Discovery: 1834 at the emerald mines on the Takowaja river in the Ural Mountains (Russia) by the Finnish mineralogist of Tsar Alexander II., Dr. Nils Nordenskjold (after Witali Repej / Ukraine).
Naming in honor of Tsar Alexander II. in 1842. Alexandrite was named on the occasion of the full legal age of the tsar.
Discovery of valuable alexandrite in 1987 at Hematita / Minas Gerais / Brazil.
Resumption of the Takowaja river mine(s) in 1995.
Discovery of alexandrit deposits in the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh / India in 1996.
Destruction of the coastal mines in India by the tsunami in 2004.

Alexandrite Mineral

Origin: Malyshevskoe Mine / Yekaterinburg Oblast / Urals / Russia

Photo by kind permission of © www.exceptionalminerals.com
Alexandrite Mineral
Alexandrite

Weight: 0.12 ct

Origin: Russia

Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at

Alexandrite

Size: 0.56 x 0.56 x 0.36 cm
Weight: 0.78 ct
Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.72 x 0.7 x 0.45 cm
Weight: 2.04 ct
Origin: India

Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.76 x 0.57 x 0.42 cm

Weight: 1.67 ct

Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com

Alexandrite Mineral

Origin: Malyshevskoe Mine / Yekaterinburg Oblast / Urals / Russia

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com
Alexandrite Mineral
Alexandrite

Weight: 0.17 ct

Origin: Malyshevskoe Mine / Yekaterinburg Oblast / Urals / Russia

Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at

Alexandrite

Weight: 10.50 ct

Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at

Alexandrite

Size: 1.01 x 0.32 x 0.34 cm
Weight: 1.17 ct
Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.ajsgems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 1.02 x 0.8 x 0.69 cm
Weight: 5.01 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of www.wildfishgems.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 3.20 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Size: 1.03 x 0.88 x 0.73 cm
Weight: 5.17 ct
Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.ajsgems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.85 x 0.72 x 0.49 cm
Weight: 2.29 ct
Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.ajsgems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.66 x 0.56 x 0.49 cm
Weight: 1.4 ct
Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.jalokivitukku.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.75 x 0.67 x 0.53 cm
Weight: 1.9 ct
Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.jalokivitukku.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.66 x 0.48 cm
Weight: 1.02 ct
Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.74 x 0.55 x 0.37 cm
Weight: 1.23 ct
Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.91 x 0.75 x 0.49 cm
Weight: 2.5 ct
Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.ajsgems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 1.08 x 0.75 x 0.58 cm
Weight: 3.72 ct
Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.ajsgems.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 1.60 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 3.54 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.djraregems.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 2.05 ct
Gold: 18K White gold
Diamonds: 32
Photo by kind permission of © www.davidwein.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite

Size: 0.48 x 0.34 cm
Weight: 0.34 ct
Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.60 x 0.49 x 0.27 cm
Weight: 0.71 ct
Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.65 x 0.57 x 0.41 cm
Weight: 1.34 ct
Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 2.15 ct

Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 3.03 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 1.10 ct, 0.57 cm, Madagascar
Gold: 18K White and Yellow Gold, 3.54 g
Diamonds: 24, total 0.26 ct

Photo by kind permission of © www.bkkgemstones.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite

Size: 0.58 x 0.48 x 0.41 cm
Weight: 1.04 ct
Origin: Ratnapura / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.wildfishgems.com
Alexandrite

Alexandrite

Weight: 0.21 ct

Origin: Russia

Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at

Alexandrite Mineral

Size: 0.7 x 0.6 x 0.5 cm

Origin: Manyara Lake / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.kqminerals.com
Alexandrite Mineral
Alexandrite

Weight: 1.04 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.djraregems.com

Alexandrite Mineral

Size: 0.86 x 0.80 x 0.52 cm

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © Darlene Cobler
Alexandrite Mineral
Alexandrite

Size: 0.91 x 0.72 x 0.49 cm
Weight: 2.74 ct
Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com

Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 0.27 ct; 0.35 x 0.35 cm; Brazil

Ring: 18K White gold and Platinum

Photo by kind permission of © www.africagems.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite

Size: 1.03 x 0.81 x 0.5 cm
Weight: 3.19 ct
Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 1.19 ct, 0.76 x 0.54 cm, Brazil
Diamonds: 18, total 0.81 ct
Ring: Platinum

Photo by kind permission of © www.africagems.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite

Size: 0.68 cm
Weight: 1.24 ct
Origin: Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 2.16 ct

Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Weight: 8.66 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 3.03 ct, 0.85 x 0.8 cm, Andhra Pradesh / India
Gold: 18K White gold, 11.71 g
Diamonds: 10, total 1 ct

Photo by kind permission of © www.davidwein.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite

Size: 0.73 x 0.58 x 0.32 cm
Weight: 1.16 ct
Origin: Hematita / Minas Gerais / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.awesomegems.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.54 x 0.54 x 0.30 cm
Weight: 0.64 ct
Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite

Size: 0.55 x 0.37 x 0.26 cm
Weight: 0.44 ct
Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com

Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 2.10 ct; 0.84 x 0.65 cm; Brazil
Diamonds: 8; total 0.61 ct
Ring: Platinum

Photo by kind permission of © www.africagems.com
Alexandrite Ring
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite: 2.83 ct; 1.08 x 0.79 cm: Brazil
Diamonds: 2; total 0.67 ct
Ring: Platinum

Photo by kind permission of © www.africagems.com
Alexandrite Ring

Alexandrite SW and LW UV

Size: 1.6 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm

Origin: Magara / Manyara Lake / Arusha Reg. / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.lucianabarbosa.com
Alexandrite Mineral UV

Alexandrite Mineral Cat's Eye

Image width: 1.5 cm

Origin: Magara / Lake Manyara / Arusha / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © Manfred Kampf
Alexandrite Mineral
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Weight: 0.25 ct

Origin: Hematita Mine / Nova Era / Minas Gerais / Brazil

Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.99 x 0.71 x 0.56 cm
Weight: 4.17 ct
Origin: Orissa / India

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.55 x 0.52 x 0.29 cm
Weight: 0.79 ct
Origin: Orissa / India

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.58 x 0.48 x 0.4 cm
Weight: 1.09 ct
Origin: Orissa / India

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.48 x 0.48 x 0.31 cm
Weight: 0.79 ct
Origin: Orissa / India

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.47 x 0.39 cm
Weight: 0.38 ct
Origin: Russia

Photo by kind permission of www.irocks.com
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.72 x 0.58 x 0.47 cm
Weight: 1.92 ct
Origin: East Africa

Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.80 x 0.70 x 0.38 cm
Weight: 2.00 ct
Origin: Madagascar

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.69 x 0.58 x 0.47 cm
Weight: 1.96 ct
Origin: Madagascar

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Weight: 1.58 ct

Origin: Hatton / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of www.wildfishgems.com
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.79 x 0.65 x 0.45 cm
Weight: 2.11 ct
Origin: Madagascar

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.58 x 0.45 x 0.37 cm
Weight: 1.02 ct
Origin: Orissa / India

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.94 x 0.78 x 0.52 cm
Weight: 3.57 ct
Origin: Orissa / India

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 1.08 x 0.88 x 0.94 cm
Weight: 8.16 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of www.wildfishgems.com
Alexandrite Cat's Eye
Alexandrite Cat's Eye

Size: 0.98 x 0.78 x 0.65 cm
Weight: 4.77 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of www.starruby.in

Alexandrite Cat's Eye Ring

Alexandrites: Center: 1 ct; outside total 1.06 ct; India
Diamonds: 4, total 0.04 ct
Ring: 18K Yellow gold

Photo by kind permission of © www.davidwein.com
Alexandrite Ring


See also Chrysoberyl
⇐ Intro Page ⇐ Gemstones