Photo of Alexandrite in Processed & Rough Form
Alexandrite is a mineral with a hardness of 8 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness [?]. These Orthorhombicly structured gems are made of beryllium aluminum oxide, their full chemical compound being BeAl2O4.
Alexandrite is one of the more rare varieties of color changing chrysoberyl that changes color depending on the type of light that hits it. In daylight it generally appears greenish, while it appears red while indoors due to the incandescent lighting.
This gem was first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the 1830s, but has since been found in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and even East Africa. This gem is extremely rare and is generally very expensive especially as a cut gemstone.
Combine its color changing properties, with its hardness scale of 8.5, and you can see why this stone is so highly coveted by those in the know.
The specific gravity [?] for Alexandrite is 3.71, its refractive index [?] is 1.74-1.75, and its double refraction [?] is 0.009.
History
Being first found it Russia, Alexandrite was named after Tsar Alexander II, and legend has it this gem was found on his coming of age day.
Industrial Usages
Due to its rarity this gem or stone is too valuable to have any legitimate uses in the industrial world.
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