alexandrite

American  

[al-ig-zan-drahyt, -zahn-] / ˌæl ɪgˈzæn draɪt, -ˈzɑn- /

noun

Mineralogy.

1. a variety of chrysoberyl, green by daylight and red-violet by artificial light, used as a gem.

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alexandrite British  

/ ˌælɪɡˈzændraɪt /

noun

1. a green variety of chrysoberyl used as a gemstone

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Usage

What is alexandrite? Alexandrite is a very rare, transparent gemstone that appears green-blue in daylight but changes to red-violent under incandescent light. It is one variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Due to its rarity and unique color-changing ability, naturally occurring alexandrite is extremely expensive, often surpassing even the price of precious stones like emeralds and diamonds. A small gemstone can reach a very high price. For this reason, synthetic alexandrite is popular for jewelry making. Alexandrite is one of the birthstones for the month of June. It is associated with the zodiac signs Gemini and Cancer. It is also the gemstone for a 55th wedding anniversary. Example: Having an alexandrite ring is almost like having two different pieces of jewelry—one with a green stone and one with a red stone.

Etymology

Origin of alexandrite

1830–40; named after Alexander I of Russia; see -ite ¹