Chrysoberyl

specimen number:
8311239

location:
Izumrudnye Kopi, Malyshevo, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

description:
A classic Russian specimen with lustrous green crystals of chrysoberyl to 0.6 cm in size across the top of matrix. This is the variety known as alexandrite. This particular specimen shows very little color change but is still very nice. In great condition.

The Izumrudnye Kopi area, located near Malyshevo in the Sverdlovsk Oblast of the Ural Mountains, Russia, is the world's most famous historic source of emerald and alexandrite. Geologically, the deposit consists of phlogopite schist zones formed by the desilication of granitic pegmatites intruding into ultramafic rocks. This unique geochemical environment provided the chromium necessary to color the beryllium-rich minerals, resulting in the discovery of alexandrite, a rare variety of chrysoberyl known for its dramatic color change from emerald green in daylight to raspberry red in incandescent light. Historically, the deposits were discovered in 1831 by a peasant named Maxim Kozhevnikov, leading to intensive mining under the Russian Imperial family. Large-scale operations continued through the Soviet era, primarily focused on beryllium for industrial and military use, though the Malysheva Mine remains active today for gemstone production. The locality is iconic for producing large, cyclic-twinned alexandrite crystals that remain the global standard for the species.

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