Photo from AG Gems & Jewelry.
Alexandrite was found along the coast of the Indian state of Orissa around 2000. However, the coastal alexandrite mines were destroyed by the 2004 tsunami. Brazil became a major source of alexandrite, when it was found at the Minas Gerais Hematita Mine in 1987.
In the early 1830s, alexandrite was discovered in the emerald mines of Russia’s Ural Mountains near the Tokovaya River. The name alexandrite was officially accepted in 1842 in honor of Tzar Alexander II. Since the stone only occurred in Russia and its red and green colors mirrored those of the Imperial Russian flag, it became the national stone of tsarist Russia.
Some people have said that alexandrite’s green color in daylight represented the hope Alexander II brought to Russia when he emancipated the serfs and initiated the transformation of the agrarian Russian economy into an industrial state. The red by candlelight prophesied the bloody revolution that brought an end to the tsarist regime.
By the late 1800s, Russian alexandrite was not only prized by jewelers in St. Petersburg and Paris, it was also a favorite stone of Tiffany’s, who popularized it in America.
An article entitled “Geographic Origin Determination of Alexandrite” in the Winter 2019 issue of “Gems & Gemology” discusses alexandrites from Russia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, India, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar and describes their characteristics.
Alexandrite was added as a June birthstone in 1952 by the Jewelry Industry Council of America.
AG Gems & Jewelry is based in Los Angeles and specializes in high quality colored gemstone jewelry, which you can see at www.aggems.com.
More info on alexandrite and other colored gems is in my “Gemstone Buying Guide” www.reneenewman.com/gemstone.htm
Guest articles by Renée Newman:
https://gem-spectrum.com/category/renee-newman
About the author:
Renée Newman is a gemologist (GG, GIA), lecturer, writer and author of 15 books on gems and jewelry. Her goal is to provide consumers and jewelry professionals with unbiased, affordable information on how to buy, evaluate and appreciate gems and jewelry. She can be reached through her website:
