Alexandrite is the most valuable form of the mineral chrysoberyl. It was discovered on the birthday of Czar Alexander in 1830.
The fortuity of the discovery of Alexandrite on the Czar’s birthday was considered manifold because the colors displayed by this unusual stone mirror the imperial Russian colors ­ red and green. When viewed under sunlight or fluorescent light, Alexandrite appears medium to bluish green, when seen by candlelight or incandescent light, it appears violet red.

This effect is not unique to Alexandrite, many gem types display color change (sapphire, garnet, apatite, tourmaline, obsidian, etc…) however the degree of color change exhibited by these highly valued gem stones is the most extreme ever encountered in natural gems. Today the world’s major source of alexandrite is in the state of Minas Gerias, Brazil. In 1987, at the Lavra de Hematita mine, the world’s largest deposit of alexandrite was found. In 1993, another source of this extraordinary gemstone was found near the Tanzania-Mozambique border.