Description: Alexandrite is a variety of Chrysoberyl that can change its color depending on the illumination. Alexandrite has a green coloring during the daylight and becomes violet-red when exposed to artificial lighting. This peculiarity of the stone was first noticed by Finnish mineralogist N.Nordenscheld. In April 1834, 85 versts away from Yekaterinburg, in the placer on the Tokovaya River he found a new mineral. Its green color when the stone was exposed to candle light turned to blood-red color. Observing this peculiarity of alexandrite a writer N. Leskov wrote that in this stone the green morning changed for bloody evening. The stone received the name of Alexanrite later in 1842 in the honor of full age of Cesarevitch Alexander, who became in 1855 a Russian emperor Alexander 2. After he was killed in 1881 the decorations with alexandrite became especially popular among Russian nobility. Russian AlexandriteThe changeability of alexandrite is explained by its addition o...