Alexandrite is a stone of rare beauty, a real jewel. By value, these stones are among the five most expensive, and some nuggets are superior in price to diamonds. Of course, for an amazing stone you need a suitable frame, so today we’ll talk about rings with alexandrites.
Stone history
Alexandrite was first found in 1833 in the Urals, mistaken for an emerald. And the thing is that in daylight this stone has a green color. What a surprise the prospectors were when they later discovered that their emeralds had turned a blood-red hue!
Soon, a new stone was identified, studied and even introduced to the imperial family. The name of the stone was given in honor of the 16-year-old heir to the throne, Alexander II.
Alexandrite fashion swept through the capital at a frantic speed. However, only a select few could afford such a luxury. After all, both then and now, alexandrite is one of the rarest stones related to precious. Only members of the royal family and nobles close to them could acquire alexandrite jewelry. In those days, a gold ring with alexandrite was worth a fortune.
Features of the stone and how to distinguish fake
Alexandrite changes color from green to blood red, in the interval turning to yellowness. A ring with alexandrite, the photo of which sometimes seems to be an illustration for a fairy tale, always feels the hostess's health status, and not just the lighting. It is also believed that a change in color to yellow shades can promise the approach of trouble. This nugget also has other colors that are less common: grayish, lilac, yellow. But the transition from green to red is a prerequisite. Crystals without these shades are not alexandrites. If your ring with alexandrite does not turn green and does not blush, the stone is artificial.
Another important detail - the nuggets of this stone are always small. Stones weighing 2 carats are already a rarity. 3 carats in the history of production were found only a few pieces. Take a close look at the alexandrite ring - an oversized gem should alert you!
Are you just going to purchase a piece of jewelry? Be sure to keep in mind that in view of the rarity and high price of these stones, in principle, they do not fall into consumer goods. If the seller has all the sizes of the ring you like, run away! A silver ring with alexandrite should also cause a surge of skepticism. Why send expensive stone to a very budget metal? Such jewelry is more likely an exception to the general rules. Commonly used is gold or platinum.
Deposits and Alexandrites from Alexandria
Rare stone alexandrite was mined in the Urals for a rather long time. Today, the field is closed because the subsoil has exhausted its supply completely. Famous field in Sri Lanka. In color, Ceylon gems are closer to the olive gamut, in contrast to the Urals - bright green. This stone is also mined in Africa - in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. Another famous field is located in Brazil. Only in depth of shade neither African nor Brazilian stones can be compared with bright green Russians, whose beauty does not fade over the years.
Those who rested in the Mediterranean, probably more than once met sellers offering to buy alexandrites inexpensively and quickly. Yes, and they probably heard the local bike: that the stone owes its name to Alexandria. There is not a bit of truth in this. The rings from the Egyptian market are fake, and the fairy tale was invented for gullible tourists.
"Made in USSR"
Surely even today there are a lot of those who inherited from the grandmother the Soviet ring with alexandrite. The stones in these rings are very beautiful; the faceting of the old Soviet jewelry school is still famous. One trouble - the range of their shades ranges from pink to purple. And this, as we have already found out, speaks of the artificial origin of the stone.
The fashion for alexandrites in the USSR was simply universal. And most of our compatriots are still convinced that alexandrite should be lilac. In fact, not a single stone mined in the Urals has ever been put on free sale. Alexandrites were considered a strategic product in the USSR. Jewelry factories worked only with a synthetic counterpart.
Signs and superstitions
Before buying a ring with alexandrite, many often think about the ambiguous glory of this gem. Someone calls him a widow, someone is sure that he will make his mistress lonely. These superstitions began in the 50s of the last century, when the fashion for alexandrites swept the world once again. What was the number of widows in a world that had just survived a terrible war? Is there only a wine of stone in this? And how many percent of widowed women could afford to buy a ring with natural alexandrite? In the vast majority of cases, it can only be about artificial stones.
In any case, since then it has been customary to believe that a ring with alexandrite must be supplemented with a pair of earrings, a pendant or a brooch with the same stone.
There are signs not only among consumers, but also among miners. Ural prospectors once generally tried not to touch alexandrites, because it was believed that after them they would never again be able to get emeralds. And without that, a rare stone remained in the bowels ...
Purchase Rules
Check the certificate first. It will indicate the color, transparency of the stone, the shape of its cut and, of course, the deposit in which it was mined. Pay attention to size, avoid large stones.
Remember that alexandrite is expensive, within a few thousand dollars per carat. Do not trust random sellers, look among the products of world famous companies and at auction houses with a good reputation. And most importantly - choose the ring with alexandrite that will be to your liking. Indeed, sometimes even a simple polished stone with a low level of transparency can bring its owner much more joy than a faceted crystal with the highest rates.