Information on June Birthstone

Birthstone for June is alexandrite:

“Emerald by day, ruby by night,” alexandrite is well known for displaying one of the most remarkable color changes in the gem world — green in sunlight and red or purple in incandescent light. The modern June birthstone is so rare and expensive few people have seen a natural alexandrite. This variety of gem-quality chrysoberyl makes an excellent jewelry stone (if you can acquire one). Clarity also plays a significant role in grading. As is the case with a majority of gems, most naturally occurring alexandrite isn’t clean, facetable material. Most are best suited for cabbing. However, an alexandrite’s color change has more effect on its value than its clarity. For example, take two alexandrites of equal size. One gem is eye clean, with a 50% greenish blue to brownish red color change. The other is an opaque cabochon with a 100% green to red color change. The opaque cab would be considered more valuable. Alexandrite was discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the 1830s. Noted mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld was the first to realize this great green. The color-changing gemstone was something new. In 1834, Count Lev Alekseevich Perovskii named the stone in honor of the then future Czar of Russia.