#russianalexandrite

The gemstone which is marveled at for displaying the splendid change of color is one of the rarest in the world. Alexandrite is rarer than diamond and is mostly found in sub-one-carat sizes. Even then it commands an envious price in the market and if it’s bigger then it may cost a fortune to own one. Once the alexandrite was discovered in the Ural Mountains in Russia in the 1830s it rose to prominence so fast that the Russian mines were depleted within the next hundred years or so.

Today, there are only limited areas in the world where this phenomenal gemstone is mined; let’s see which ones.

Russia

According to some accounts in the year 1830, a miraculous stone was discovered in the Ural Mountains in Russia on the 12th birthday of Alexander II who became the Czar later on. The stone was named after him though it’s still unclear as to when the stone was actually named as such because the term did not appear in the then literature before 1842. The works of Yakov Kokovin related to the discovery of alexandrite was published in the issue44 of the In Color magazine in 2019.

  Alexandrite in Russia was primarily mined in seven places viz. Marinsky, Sretenskoye, Cheremshanskoe, Krasnobolotnoye, Krasno-armeyskoye, Aulskoye, and Shag. Of the all places, the mines in Marinsky were re-explored in 2019 and some deposits of alexandrite, emerald and beryllium were found. It is considered the only working mine in Russia as it is under strict government control and not much is known about the quantity or the quality of stones being mined. All other mines stand exhausted and the last known attempted exploration was in  2013 at Krasno-armeyskoye site. Since the Russian mines depleted within the next hundred years of the discovery of alexandrite there, the stone has since become rarer, pushing its price considerably higher in the market. Russian alexandrite is known for its remarkable color change which is second to none. So, if you own an alexandrite from that era it may well be worth a fortune today.

India

At present India is producing alexandrite in substantial quantities. Alexandrite was found in the Raipur District in the state of Chhattisgarh in 1994 though the current production from this region is rather negligible. The other two prominent sites - Narsipattnam and Araku - are in the state of Andhra Pradesh near the city of Visakhapatnam. Odisha is another state in India where alexandrites are mined.

Most of the alexandrites of Indian origin are strong towards the green side of the color spectrum but somewhat weak towards the red. Generally speaking, the Indian alexandrites show satisfactory clarity and color change. Samunda alexandrites, named after the mine, exhibit a remarkable color change from bluish green to purplish-red and are valued highly in the international market.

Sri Lanka

Balangoda & Horana sites in Sri Lanka are known for alexandrite and other gemstones. Srilankan alexandrites are comparatively larger in size than those of other origins, however, the alexandrites found in Sri Lanka possess muddy color tones and show weak color change.

Brazil

Alexandrite was discovered in Brazil in 1987 in the area called Minas Gerais meaning general mines. These mines are also known for producing emeralds. Other mines are Hematita, Carnaiba, Esmeralda de Ferros, Itaitinga, Novo Cruzeiro, Teafilo Otoni, Serra Dourada. Gemstones from this region are prized for their exceptional color change and clarity. Brazilian alexandrite is considered one of the best in the market today.

In 1967, Jules Roger Sauer, the founder and chairman of Amsterdam Jewelers, discovered the largest gem-quality alexandrite which measured 122,400 carats in rough. The find was made in the Jaqueto district of Bahia, Brazil.

Madagascar

It seems like Madagascar has a host of gemstones under its belly. Initially, there was a sapphire rush in the 1990s, then came along ruby and afterward alexandrite. Alexandrite was found in Madagascar in the Ilakaka locality of the Fianarantsoa region.  These gemstones are quite vivid and include a yellow-green variety of cat’s eyes.

Tanzania

The Tunduru region in Tanzania which borders another country – Mozambique, has produced large quantities of sapphires, spinels, and alexandrites. The Manaya region in the north has also produced some fine alexandrite gemstones.

Zimbabwe

Alexandrites from Zimbabwe are dark and experts consider them suitable for faceting for only small-sized gems. Though the current production in the country is almost non-existent, the Novello deposit of Zimbabwe’s Masvingo district is worth mentioning here.

Australia

In 1930 alexandrite was found near the Dowerin region in the western part of Australia.  Since then the mine has yielded many small alexandrite gemstones with remarkable clarity and color change.

Myanmar

Myanmar is primarily known for its ‘Burmese ruby’ though some alexandrite stones were also found in the Mogok region of this country. It has also been reported to produce ‘cat’s eye’. Very little information is available about the commercial mining of alexandrites in this country due to its political state.

Though it is quite common to hear the phrase ‘emerald by day and ruby by night’ for alexandrite, it is also sometimes called the ‘stone prophet’. According to some beliefs, the stone changes its color from green to red irrespective of the lighting if its owner is in danger.