How to clean it
Warm soapy water. Hard enough at 8.5 to be safe in most settings.
Green in daylight, red under incandescent light
Alexandrite
The birthstone for June.
Is Alexandrite a birthstone?
Yes. Alexandrite is the modern birthstone for June.
Properties
Composition
Beryllium aluminium oxide (BeAl₂O₄) — chrysoberyl coloured by chromium
Hardness (Mohs)
8.5
Crystal system
Orthorhombic
Colour
Green in daylight, red under incandescent light
Mined in
Russia (Ural), Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
Worth knowing
Genuine colour-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.
Practical
Caring for Alexandrite
How to tell it is real
Almost everything sold as alexandrite is synthetic colour-change corundum. Genuine alexandrite shifts green to red; the imitations shift blue-violet to purple, which is a different change entirely.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Hard enough for daily wear in any setting. It will outlast the metal it is set in.
Traditional associations
Alexandrite is traditionally associated with adaptability and holding two truths at once. In chakra systems it is placed at the Heart, Crown, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Fire.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Alexandrite made of?
Beryllium aluminium oxide (BeAl₂O₄) — chrysoberyl coloured by chromium, crystallising in the orthorhombic system.
Which month is Alexandrite the birthstone for?
June.
Where does Alexandrite come from?
Russia (Ural), Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania.
How do I clean Alexandrite?
Warm soapy water. Hard enough at 8.5 to be safe in most settings.
How can I tell if Alexandrite is real?
Almost everything sold as alexandrite is synthetic colour-change corundum. Genuine alexandrite shifts green to red; the imitations shift blue-violet to purple, which is a different change entirely.
Can I wear it every day?
At 8.5 on the Mohs scale, yes — it resists everyday scratching.