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
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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. |
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Alexandrite Mineral
Origin: Malyshevskoe Mine / Yekaterinburg Oblast / Urals / Russia Photo by kind permission of © www.exceptionalminerals.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite
Size: 0.76 x 0.57 x 0.42 cm Weight: 1.67 ct Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com |
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Alexandrite Mineral
Origin: Malyshevskoe Mine / Yekaterinburg Oblast / Urals / Russia Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 0.17 ct Origin: Malyshevskoe Mine / Yekaterinburg Oblast / Urals / Russia Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 3.20 ct Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite
Size: 0.66 x 0.48 cm Weight: 1.02 ct Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 1.60 ct Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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Alexandrite Ring
Alexandrite: 2.05 ct Gold: 18K White gold Diamonds: 32 Photo by kind permission of © www.davidwein.com |
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Alexandrite
Size: 0.48 x 0.34 cm Weight: 0.34 ct Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 2.15 ct Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 3.03 ct Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite Mineral
Size: 0.7 x 0.6 x 0.5 cm Origin: Manyara Lake / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of © www.kqminerals.com |
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Alexandrite Mineral
Size: 0.86 x 0.80 x 0.52 cm Origin: Tanzania Photo by kind permission of © Darlene Cobler |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite
Size: 0.68 cm Weight: 1.24 ct Origin: Brazil Photo by kind permission of www.palagems.com |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 2.16 ct Origin: Andhra Pradesh / India Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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Alexandrite
Weight: 8.66 ct Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of www.multicolour.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite Mineral Cat's Eye
Image width: 1.5 cm Origin: Magara / Lake Manyara / Arusha / Tanzania Photo by kind permission of © Manfred Kampf |
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Alexandrite Cat's Eye
Weight: 0.25 ct Origin: Hematita Mine / Nova Era / Minas Gerais / Brazil Photo by kind permission of www.edelsteine.at |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Alexandrite Cat's Eye
Weight: 1.58 ct Origin: Hatton / Sri Lanka Photo by kind permission of www.wildfishgems.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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See also Chrysoberyl
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