Alexandrite
Origin : |
Russia, Sri Lanka, East Africa, and Brazil. |
Birthstone : |
June |
|
55th Wedding Anniversary Gift |
Alexandrite, with its chameleon-like qualities, is a rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Its colour can be a lovely green in daylight or fluorescent light, changing to brownish or purplish red in the incandescent light from a lamp or candle flame. This is a result of the complex way the mineral absorbs light. Alexandrite's dramatic colour change is sometimes described as "emerald by day, ruby by night." Other gems also change colour in response to a light-source change, but this gem's transformation is so striking that the phenomenon itself is often called "the alexandrite effect."
It shares its status as a June birthstone with pearl and moonstone.
Since the discovery of alexandrite in Russia's Ural Mountains, the gemstone has been thought to bring luck, good fortune, and love. Alexandrite encourages romance.