Alexandrite is named after Russian Tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals discovered in April 1834 near the Tokovaya River in the Urals, on the day the future tsar came of age. Although alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it is a fascinating gem since it shows both red and green.

Beautiful alexandrite in top quality, however, is very rare and hardly used in jewellery due to the high price. Its main feature is its ability to change its colour. Green in daylight, to a soft shade of red, in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it a highly prized - among the most expensive gemstones in the world.

It is basically a chrysoberyl, but the presence of chromium accounts for the spectacular colour change.