the.com/alexandrite
a gem that changes its mind about color depending on the light
means A rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl prized for its dramatic color shift, appearing green in daylight and red or purple under incandescent light.
from Named for Tsar Alexander II of Russia, since the stone was first identified in the Ural Mountains in the 1830s — the popular story claims it was discovered on the future tsar's birthday, which is a tidy legend but uncertain. Its red-and-green play famously echoed the colors of imperial Russia, which only deepened its appeal at court. The suffix '-ite' is the standard mineralogist's tag, from the Greek '-ites,' meaning 'belonging to' or 'of the nature of.'
- day vs night
- green in daylight, red under lamplight
- russian roots
- named for a future Russian tsar
- rare
- scarcer than diamond, ruby, or emerald
- chromium trick
- chromium causes the dramatic color shift
- birthstone
- shares June with pearl and moonstone
alexandrite from sri lanka — mined in significant quantities since the 1990s, produces the color-change effect though typically less dramatic than russian specimens
alexandrite from brazil — notable deposits in minas gerais state, supplies a large portion of today's commercial alexandrite gemstones