What is the color of alexandrite?
Alexandrites are remarkable and rare gemstones. They display an extraordinary colour change according to the ambient lighting, from emerald green in daylight to ruby red in incandescent light from tungsten lamps or candles.
What color alexandrite is more valuable?
The most prized alexandrite is red to purplish-red in artificial light, and green to bluish-green in daylight. The intensity of the primary hue, also known as color saturation, ranges from strong to moderately strong in the most valuable alexandrites.
Is alexandrite blue or purple?
In natural and fluorescent light, alexandrite can range from green to greenish blue, but under incandescent or candle light, it can appear purple to purplish red.
What color is alexandrite in the dark?
If an ultraviolet lamp is shone on an alexandrite, an intense, glowing red color is seen. The electrons in the chromium ions absorb the ultraviolet light, gaining energy and jumping to higher energy levels.
What gives alexandrite its color?
chromium
The colours seen in alexandrite are caused by chromium – the same colouring element that causes the red of ruby and the green of emerald. The amount of colour change observed is often given as a percentage – with a 100% colour change from one hue to the other being the most valuable.
Is all alexandrite color changing?
Not all color-change chrysoberyl is alexandrite, despite the assurances of sellers. If any other color-change combinations are observed, the stone should be identified as a color-change chrysoberyl. A classic alexandrite color change: Green in daylight to slightly purple Red in incandescent light.
How can you tell good quality alexandrite?
Color change is the most important quality factor for alexandrite. The most-prized alexandrites show a strong color change from bluish green in daylight and red to purplish red in incandescent light, with moderately strong to strong color saturation. Alexandrites tend to contain few inclusions.
How can I tell if my alexandrite is real?
Real alexandrite usually changes from something in the green color range in daylight or fluorescent light to something in the red range in incandescent light. If it changes from blue to purple it is almost always a synthetic sapphire. If it is large and very clean internally you can bet it is not real.
Can alexandrite be yellow?
Sources of Color-Change Chrysoberyl Historically, fine-grade alexandrite originated from the Ural Mountains in Russia. The color change in this material typically ranges from Green to Yellow, brownish Red to Purple, or yellow Green to blue Green.
Can alexandrite be purple?
When the light source changes from daylight to incandescent light, the gem’s color changes from bluish green to reddish purple. Alexandrite, with its chameleon-like qualities, is a rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Typically, its three pleochroic colors are green, orange, and purple-red.
How can you tell quality alexandrite?
How does alexandrite stone change color?
The color changing property of Alexandrite is known as ‘Alexandrite effect’, and is a result of chromium traces found in the gemstone. The absorption band 580 nm allows the Alexandrite to change color from red to green when seen under different light.