Chrysoberyl

specimen number:
1052457

location:
Izumrudnye Kopi, Malyshevo, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

description:
A somewhat crude but still large and mostly complete crystal of green chrysoberyl with little attached matrix. This is the variety known as alexandrite. Classic color change for which the species is famous is shown at the end of the video. One can see from this that the crystal has some translucency. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video dating this to the early 20th century if not earlier.

Alexandrite is a rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl that is notable for its remarkable color change, typically appearing green in daylight and red under incandescent light due to the presence of chromium. It was first discovered in the 1830s in the Ural Mountains of Russia, near the Tokovaya River in the emerald mining district. The mineral was named in honor of the future Tsar Alexander II, and its red and green color change was considered especially significant because it matched the imperial colors of Russia. Early Russian material was of exceptional quality and remains some of the most prized alexandrite ever found. Although other deposits have since been discovered in countries such as Brazil and Sri Lanka, the original Russian occurrences are historically important and highly valued.

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