Alexandrite is one of the rarest and most valuable types of natural chrysoberyl. The reason is that it changes its color depending on the type of light you are viewing it in. In daylight, it has a bluish-green hue to it while in incandescent lighting or candlelight, it gains a purple-red shine. This special ability to change colors is why so many jewelers love coloring their creations with the Alexandrite gem.
Alexandrite is one of the three birthstones of June and it comes with a lot of benefits. Most people are not aware of the fact that alexandrite is rarer than diamond and much more expensive than known gemstones like ruby and emerald. Its color-changing quality makes it an excellent choice for jewelry.
The Chrysoberyl Factor
Alexandrite is the rare variety of chrysoberyl and because hues in gemstones are often determined by impurities, its color can be attributed to titanium. Much like green garnet, alexandrite may appear differently in daylight or fluorescent light than it would if it were under incandescent light. For example, while some say that emeralds look a more vibrant greenish-blue when placed within daylight or fluorescence, others will argue that rubies look reddish at night or under incandescent lighting.
Color-changing chrysoberyls are very rare in nature, so much so that they are considered semi precious gems. But not all color-changing chrysoberyls are referred to as "alexandrite" (which is a synonym of "chrysoberyl," by the way). You see, the term "alexandrite" describes any gemstone that undergoes a dramatic color change with low temperatures. But technically, alexandrites contain other elements like chromium, iron, and titanium which was why people used to confuse it for being just another type of chrysoberyl, even though there's more than one type. The amazing part about an alexandrite gemstone is how its colors ideally reflect violet when warm and red when cold; although this may vary from stone to stone.
Reason Behind Alexandrite's Color-Changing Property
The thing that is responsible for alexandrite's color change is chromium. Chromium is an element that is also used to make stainless steel and causes the alexandrite to appear ruby red and emerald green. The color-changing effect of this gemstone works on the principle that white light emits all seven colors of the rainbow. A spectrum is composed of a number of different wavelengths, and each wavelength is perceived as its own color. A particular gemstone can absorb certain wavelengths of light while reflecting others. For example, if there are chromium ions in the stone, it would be able to reflect a specific color that brown eyes see as their distinctive hue.
If you're planning to buy alexandrite earrings or any other jewelry item made of alexandrite, you can consider The Rare Gem LLC. They are experts that provide authentic alexandrite and sapphire jewelry items at reasonable prices. Their four decades of experience is enough to tell about their credibility and you can also get your jewelry customized as well from them.