Gems : Alexandrite

Alexandrite is a rare variety of Chrysoberyl, named after Alexander II. It was discovered near Ekaterinburg in the Russian Ural Mountains in 1830, but today there are other sources, such as Sri Lanka, Burma, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and North America.
What makes Alexandrite so unusual and collectable is the dramatic way its colour changes in different lights. High quality alexandrite varies from grass green in daylight to a raspberry red in tungsten lighting. Although many other gemstones have similar properties, they’re nowhere near as strong, and don’t have such highly contrasting colours. In fact, Alexandrite is so rare and expensive, it’s hardly ever seen in the UK.