How many colors can alexandrite change?
Typically, its three pleochroic colors are green, orange, and purple-red. However, the striking color change doesn’t arise from the gem’s pleochroism, but rather from the mineral’s unusual light-absorbing properties.
What is the best color change in alexandrite?
The most important factor for alexandrite is the quality of its colour change. The most prized colour change is a strong raspberry red in incandescent light and a bright green in daylight – however an absolutely perfect specimen is not known to exist!
Why does the alexandrite stone change colors?
The color changing property of Alexandrite is known as ‘Alexandrite effect’, and is a result of chromium traces found in the gemstone. The chromium traces cause strong light absorption in the yellow and blue parts of the spectrum.
What is the gemstone that changes color?
There are only a handful of color changing gemstones including Alexandrite, Color Change Fluorite, Color Change Garnet, Color Change Sapphire and Zultanite®. Unlike other color changing gemstones, Zultanite®’s color change is not limited to two basic colors.
Can alexandrite turn blue?
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.
Does all alexandrite change color?
Alexandrite is a very rare and valuable variety of chrysoberyl that shows color change. However, not all color-change chrysoberyls have the classic range of colors that alexandrites show. Although these gems are uncommon and valuable in their own right, they are sometimes marketed misleadingly as alexandrites.
Can alexandrite change colors?
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.
How do I know if I have a real alexandrite?
One key way to determine if your piece is bred from a lab is to monitor its color changes. It is natural for alexandrite to go from blue to purple rather than green to red. However, it is present in mainly African gems – which were only discovered in recent years.
How can you tell if alexandrite is synthetic?
If your stone is larger than a carat and has no inclusions, it’s almost certainly a synthetic. A gemologist can tell you for sure after examining the stone under the microscope and conducting a simple test of its optical properties, called a refractive index test. .