There is a debate that exists within the gemstone community regarding what exactly the June birthstone is. Is it pearl or is it Alexandrite? The pearl is more widely known, however the Alexandrite gemstone remains a bit of a mystery! At Lauren B., we think the Alexandrite gemstone is just as beautiful and versatile and definitely deserving of birthstone recognition!
What is Alexandrite?
Alexandrite is of the Chrysoberyl family, with a hardness rating of 8.5. This is comparable to the more popular sapphire. The amazing feature of this particular gem is its “color changing” property. It appears greenish-blue in daylight, but under fluorescent lighting appears more purplish-brown.This is so rare that it has actually been called “The Alexandrite Effect”!
They can also sometimes depict a “cat-eye” within the stone for an even MORE interesting feature – and it is actually a result of a needle-like inclusion. These gems come faceted in a primarily mixed cut – or a combination of step cut and brilliant. This makes them more difficult for cutters to gauge exactly how to cut to maximize the color depth -but as you can see it yields gorgeous results! It is often shown in jewelery in sizes under one carat, as larger sizes with deeper color accelerate in price.
Fun Facts
*The Alexandrite gemstone was discovered in 1830. It was named for Czar Alexander II from Russia.
*Alexandrites are rarely heavily included gem stones. This is the opposite of emerald gem stones for example
*Alexandrites are also a symbolic gem for 55th wedding anniversaries!