Alexandrite Color Change Sapphire

Most color change sapphires change from blue to purple.

Alexandrite color change sapphire.

One of the most versatile and captivating stones natural alexandrite is one of the few precious gems that changes color from a sea green in white light to cherry red in incandescent lighting. Color change corundum was grown around 100 years ago the first time and used since then as an alexandrite simulant. That s because alexandrite is a variety of the chrysoberyl mineral and is not a sapphire which is a completely different mineral. Therefore this sapphire replica is more like an alexandrite simulant.

Alexandrite is a color change variety chrysoberyl and is considered one of the rarest gemstones in the world. See results 1 2 of about 2 for color change sapphire. Finding green to red is extremely rare in sapphire whereas that is the norm for alexandrite. What s an alexandrite sapphire.

Alexandrite exhibits a green to red purple color change and has a completely different make up chemically to sapphire. Natural sapphires can also show a color change effect but it is usually less pronounced. Only a trained eye can make out the difference between the lab created alexandrite and the real alexandrite the most common corundum colors are blue sapphire and ruby but we can also supply you white sapphire orange sapphire yellow sapphire and alexandrites in all shapes and sizes. 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. A lot of alexandrite heirloom jewelry uses this corundum that often contains vanadium to produce the color change. This material should be more accurately described as simulated alexandrite rather than synthetic alexandrite. Red color change garnet at alexandrite discussion forums alexandrite guide.

The most prominent example is synthetic color change sapphire which has been sold as an alexandrite impostor for years. I bet it is a man made color change sapphire so many are sold on ebay as alexandrite but the name is deceiving.