"Look, here it is, the prophetic Russian stone! O crafty Siberian. It was always green as hope and only toward evening was it suffused with blood. It was that way from the beginning of the world, but it concealed itself for a long time, lay hidden in the earth, and permitted itself to be found only on the day when Tsar Alexander was declared of age, when a great sorcerer had come to Siberia to find the stone, a magician." Leskov Nikolai Semyonovich. Alexandrite.1884
The goal of the Alexandrite Guide project is to establish a comprehensive resource, dedicated to alexandrite gemstone and to create an open community where the free exchange of information is encouraged and where all content is freely accessible on the web.
The Alexandrite Guide is intended for anyone who is interested in the history, sources, valuation and collection of alexandrite gemstones. Topics also include chemical and physical properties, mythology, and color change phenomena as well as alexandrite synthetics and imitations.
Answers to the most common questions regarding alexandrite and its identification are addressed in detail and the site is an invaluable aid to anyone wishing to buy an alexandrite for the first time.
Chapters | Articles | Resources |
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Chapter 1. Insidious Siberian
Chapter 2. Diaphanite or Alexandrite? Chapter 3. Species and variety Chapter 4. Classification and properties Chapter 5. The Alexandrite effect Chapter 6. World occurrences Chapter 7. Synthetics and imitations Chapter 8. Myths, legends and lore Chapter 9. Alexandrite buyer's guide |
Chronological History of Alexandrite
Methods of producing synthetic alexandrite Synthetic gemstone growth techniques The Alexandrite Laser |
Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary of Terms Bibliography |
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Dowerin
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Carnaiba Mine
Caraiba mine Esmeraldas de Ferros Hematita Itaitinga Mine Novo Cruzeiro Teafilo Otoni Serra Dourada |
Deobhog mines
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Ilakaka
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Mogok
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Izumrudnye Kopi
Malysheva mine |
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Balangoda
Horana |
Tunduru
Lake Manyara |
La Madera Mtn.
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Girdlestone Farm
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By variety | By origin | By phenomena | By enhancement |
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Alexandrite (Chrysoberyl)
Chrysoberyl (Chrysoberyl) Cymophane (Chrysoberyl) |
Balangoda (Sri Lanka)
Deobhog area (India) Horana (Sri Lanka) Ilakaka (Madagascar) Tunduru (Tanzania) |
Adularescence
Cat's eye (Chatoyancy) Change of color (Alexandrite effect) Chatoyancy Pleochroism |
Faceted
Traditional (Cabochon) |