June's Birthstone the Alexandrite

Alexandrite changes color from green in natural light to purplish red in incandescent light. June’s birthstone is a comparatively to the list, having been discovered in 1830 in the Ural Mountains and named after Tsar Alexander.

Alexandrite is a variety of the mineral chrysoberyl, which is the third hardest gemstone on the Moh´s scale. It shows a color change from emerald green in natural light to purplish red in incandescent light. Good specimens are really rare, which makes it an costly stone. A good one carat faceted stone can sell for $100,000. A few other gems, slighter lower in price, exhibit a similar color shift which has given rise to the word "alexandritic". These are garnet, spinel, and sapphire. There are also synthetic alexandrites, which are used for lasers. Among birthstones, alexandrite is a quite fresh addition to the list, having been discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1830. Named after Tsar Alexander, alexandrite was discovered by Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskjöld. At first he confused his find with emerald but soon discovered its hardness and unique color switching characteristic. Although alexandrite continues to be mined in the Ural Mountains, brilliant stones are found in Brazil, Burma, India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Alexandrite is too young a gemstone to have acquired a large body of legends and metaphysical attributes. However, its colors are those of old imperial Russia and therefore it can be considered a lucky stone for those of Russian descent, and for those lucky to be born in June, who can claim this stunning gem as their birthstone.