Discovery and Name Origin/Meaning Alexandrite was named in honor of Russian Czar Alexander II because it was rumored to have been discovered on his birthday in 1834, though that history is debated.
What Is Alexandrite? Alexandrite is a member of the chrysoberyl family of minerals. The gem is unique, because Alexandrite has the ability to change color. Alexandrite is green or blue-green in daylight and under fluorescent lighting, but morphs to shades of red when displayed in incandescent light.
This rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. The discovery was made on the day the future tsar came of age.
In viewing natural Alexandrite in daylight it should be a green or bluish-green coloration; the closer to emerald green the better. In warm incandescent light, candlelight or tungsten light the color should change to a reddish-purple, purple, or bluish lavender. The closer the color is to a fine ruby the better the gemstone.
Alexandrite and pearls are both the June birthstone. Alexandrite is a hard, durable gemstone that changes colors from green to red. Because of its rarity and unique color properties, this is an expensive stone that is in high demand. Alexandrite was discovered in the emerald mines of Russia in 1831.
