What it is confused with
Synthetic corundum and spinel doped to change color are widely sold as "alexandrite", along with laboratory-grown alexandrite. Natural stones need a laboratory report.
Green in daylight, red under incandescent light
Alexandrite birthstone
Alexandrite, the birthstone for June, is beryllium aluminum oxide (BeAl₂O₄) — chrysoberyl colored by chromium, green in daylight, red under incandescent light, rated 8.5 on the Mohs scale. Traditionally, it is associated with adaptability and holding two truths at once — attributed, not demonstrated.
- Mohs hardness
- 8.5 scratches window glass
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic BeAl₂O₄
- Main sources today
- Russia (Ural) also Brazil, Sri Lanka
Is Alexandrite a birthstone?
Yes. Alexandrite is the modern birthstone for June.
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Properties
Composition
Beryllium aluminum oxide (BeAl₂O₄) — chrysoberyl colored by chromium
Hardness (Mohs)
8.5
Crystal system
Orthorhombic
Color
Green in daylight, red under incandescent light
Mined in
Russia (Ural), Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
Worth knowing
Genuine color-change alexandrite is rarer than diamond. Most stones sold under the name are synthetic corundum.
History
Found in the Urals in the 1830s and named after Tsar Alexander II.
Buying
Buying Alexandrite: fakes, value and treatments
What decides the price
The strength of the color change — green to bluish green in daylight, red to purplish red under incandescent light — decides the price. Natural stones over a carat are rare.
Where it is used
Almost entirely fine jewelry; synthetic alexandrite crystals are also used in some lasers.
A less familiar fact
It is a variety of chrysoberyl, and the color change comes from chromium absorbing light in a narrow band between green and red.
Practical
Caring for Alexandrite
How to clean it
Warm soapy water. Hard enough at 8.5 to be safe in most settings.
How to tell it is real
Almost everything sold as alexandrite is synthetic color-change corundum. Genuine alexandrite shifts green to red; the imitations shift blue-violet to purple, which is a different change entirely.
How hard is Alexandrite?
Alexandrite, a chrysoberyl, is harder than every stone in this reference except ruby, sapphire and diamond, so daily wear is no problem; the color change, not the surface, is what a buyer has to check. Among the stones in this reference, the next softer is Spinel (8) and the next harder Ruby (9).
Alexandrite, at 8.5, is harder than 39 of the other 42 stones here and softer than 3.
Traditional associations
Alexandrite is traditionally associated with adaptability and holding two truths at once. Chakra in crystal practice: Heart, Crown. Element: Fire.
Questions about Alexandrite
What is Alexandrite made of?
Beryllium aluminum oxide (BeAl₂O₄) — chrysoberyl colored by chromium, crystallizing in the orthorhombic system.
Which month is Alexandrite the birthstone for?
June.
Where does Alexandrite come from?
Russia (Ural), Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania.
Can Alexandrite be worn every day?
Yes, and it is easy to live with: at 8.5 on the Mohs scale, it is safe in almost any setting.
Cite this page
AstroHot. “Alexandrite Birthstone: The June Stone and Its Meaning.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/crystals/gemstones/alexandrite/
For Wikipedia
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