Have you really got an Alexandrite? Read this first!

[Bron357]

I know this is an older post and while I did read through the whole thing and understand that my Great-grandmother's ring is likely synthetic, I was curious what you all thought. The colors to me don't scream synthetic. I've been meaning to have it sent to a lab for an official report. I love the ring as it reminds me of my Grandma who wore it often. Any thoughts?

It’s very beautiful. Does it have gold hallmarks?
And the other thing is that there are other gems to colour change including garnet and sapphire.

 

[orekakoi]

hallo alexandrite lover, I have many alexandrite (russian colour) got from my grandfather with different character, and I love to collect them and learn about synthetic/natural,but until now I still have questions about alexandrite maybe u all can help me to answer.
1. RI for natural vs synthetic is different/same and please tell me for synthetic poin if different? ( I was read in this page, that someone was said sometime synthetic is same RI result) i need more confirm about this.
2. are you all have test it with neodymium magnet (use streoform in water)? are they attract forward(close to magnet) or backward (far from magnet)?(which is natural), ( i saw on youtube and read in many web about this test for identify natural gemstone)
3. when u use UV light ,if natural is always red flouresencent?or synthetic will show red too? because I have some alex when use UV light it show "green" colour even place at finger/other place ,( when you use uv light and show the red flourensencent on finger/pinset, then try place it with base white cotton it will be show green flouresencent,that green that show in my alex)
I think for now only that questions that I need the answers, please help n give me an advice for other test/identify.
thanks

 

[Bron357]

Alexandrite is synthesized as both Chyrosberyl and Corundum. Older style “Alexandrite” popular in the 50s and 60s was synthethic corundum and was a deep purple blue colour changing to a purple pink colour - nothing really like natural Alexandrite. It also tended to come in huge sizes and was virtually flawless. Being corrundum it has different SG, RI readings to that of Chyrosberyl and is also harder, 9 on Mohos scale.
These days Chyrosberyl is synthesized so all SG and RI readings etc will be the same as for Natural Chyrosberyl. Natural Alexandrite should be slightly magnetic due to some Iron content but this alone cannot be used as an identifying tool. UV reaction is also subjective, synthetic corrundum will glow red whereas the UV response of a natural Alexandrite is more orange toned.
To identify synthetic material you normally need to look for the tell tale curved striae that are a consequence of Czochralski method grown synthetics. though Flux grown synthetics (rarer and more expensive as this type of synthesis is time consuming aka the Chatham method) can have internal characteristics similar to that of natural Alexandrite.
Natural Alexandrite like Emeralds is a type 2 gem in that it is expected to form with inclusions. It is the type of inclusions that can identify natural Alexandrite from synthetic and sometimes even point to origin.
Other varieties of Chyrosberyl (as well as other gems including garnet and sapphire) can show colour change characteristics and to be classified as “Alexandrite” the expectation is that in normal lighting the colour will be green / teal colour changing to purple / purple red in incandescent light.
Chyrosberyl that is green / yellow toned in daylight and/or grey/ brown toned in incandescent light can not be correctly called “Alexandrite”.
The other factor is percentage change of colour, very few gems show a complete colour change ie close to 100% in different lighting conditions.
So all in all, it is not a simple matter to distinguish a modern flux grown Chyrosberyl gem from a natural Alexandrite without a more detailed and technical investigation but synthetic corundum Alexandrite is more easily identified.
These days with the value and rarity of natural Alexandrite combined with the ever increasingly sophisticated synthetics available you really need an respectable and appropriate lab report ie AGL or GIA that confirms natural origin to be certain.

 

[Bron357]

Here are some photos.
Sorry but many of the diamonds in the bracelet(s) are also UV reactive.
So daylight, incandescent and long wave UV.

 

[orekakoi]

Here are some photos.
Sorry but many of the diamonds in the bracelet(s) are also UV reactive.
So daylight, incandescent and long wave UV.

thank u for your answer , and very nice photo

 

[soberguy]

Certain posters need to take a break. I don’t see any reason for being nasty and short with anyone on this forum. It’s really getting boring. You know who you are. If you’re that frustrated, move on to a new hobby for heaven’s sake, don’t spread your venom to others. A tiny collection of tiny stones and suddenly you’re Stephan Hoffer. Give me a break.

 

[Schrockstar]

Hi there everyone. So I have a question about lab grown Alexanderite. I see some that are Flux method and a few other methods. My question is, whats the best lab grown method for an Alex? I want to purchased a lab grown Alex, and was told to purchase a Chatham created Alex, as it is a fluw grown method and the best. I am still new to all of this, so I am just seeking advice. Thank you.

 

[clumberlove]

Hi there everyone. So I have a question about lab grown Alexanderite. I see some that are Flux method and a few other methods. My question is, whats the best lab grown method for an Alex? I want to purchased a lab grown Alex, and was told to purchase a Chatham created Alex, as it is a fluw grown method and the best. I am still new to all of this, so I am just seeking advice. Thank you.

This question may be best in the fabulous fashion jewelry board, as we're not supposed to discuss synthetics in colored gemstones. It really comes down to what is most important to you. Chatham's stones are very high quality and have very good colour change properties, but the quality of the cut can be a bit variable. They are also expensive in comparison to other sources. Alternatively you could consider requesting a precision gem cutter to custom cut a stone for you. Chatham don't sell their rough, but a precision cut will be using czochralski pulled rough, which is close in quality to Chatham, but the quality of the cut will be superior.

Personally I've gone the precision cut route and am very happy with the result, but it's really a question of what is most important to you personally. Here are some pictures of my lab alex:

 

[minousbijoux]

Schrockstar: Welcome! Can you please start a new thread to discuss your alex desires? This thread is a thread dedicated to discussion of the attributes of the real deal and how to tell if you might have one. As clumberlove said, this forum is not for synthetic stone discussion anyway, so you might want to open your new thread on the Fabulous Fashion Jewelry page, found here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/forums/fabulous-fashion-jewelry.95/

 

[erinalexandrite]

Over the years, we’ve seen quite a high number of threads from people who have either inherited or bought a ring that is purported to be an Alexandrite OR a Russian Alexandrite. Unfortunately, most of these threads end up with confirmation they have (usually) synthetic corundum laced with vanadium to produce the colour changing properties. Unfortunately even from the turn of the century, which surprises many people, synthetic corundum was used in place of genuine gemstones. The science of imitating Alexandrite has of course advanced and flux grown Alexandrite is very common (and looks very much like the real thing) and also Czochralski Alexandrite that tends to be quite teal looking in daylight although much less common can be found.

To put it into perspective, especially when looking at Russian Alexandrite, only 2,000 kilos of rough were mined in the Urals in the 1800s. When you think how much is lost in the faceting process, you can see that it wouldn’t have been a gem that was easy to get hold of! To compare, from the same mine came around 20,000 kilos of Emeralds

Since the original find in Russia, other sources of Alexandrite have been found in Brazil, India, Madagascar, Tanzania, Australia and Myanmar. None of these finds have been long lived or plentiful but some beautiful examples have been found certainly in Brazil, Tanzania and India. In 1987 in Brazil there was a find at Minas Gerais that lasted around 4 months, the total .mined weight was around 50kgs. The one thing all the finds from around the world have in common is that the Alexandrite must be green in daylight (perhaps with a secondary of blue, brown or grey) moving to a pinky-mauve in the evenings. Although I have seen red flashes in some Alexandrite at night, I’ve never seen one change to “red” and with the exception of the Timo Hammid Alexandrite, I don’t know that one exists (and I don’t know anybody who has seen that gem in real life or whether the photograph of it is accurate or not).

So what are the warning signs to look for?

1. How big is the gem? If it’s a big one then start thinking you’re either going to be very wealthy OR (more likely) that it’s synthetic.

2. Are there inclusions? If it’s too clean, you need to start thinking synthetic again. Alexandrite is a Type II gemstone which means that inclusions are expected in the gemstone. Of course there are eye clean ones available but these will cost you much much much more than one with inclusions!

3. If there are inclusions, what do they look like? In synthetics you can often see small dust like particles, gas bubbles, curved striations or even feathers.

4. If the gem isn’t green in daylight and then a pinky/purple at night it’s definitely not a natural Alexandrite. The only exception to this is a poor quality Alexandrite – these can be khaki/brownish during the day and move to an orangey sort of colour in the evening.

5. If you pick up your normal camera and take a photo of the gem in daylight and the picture resembles what you see with your eyes (ie a green gemstone) then you’re either a very talented photographer OR the gem you have is not Alexandrite. Due to the way the gem reacts, it’s virtually impossible to photograph accurately. Even with natural Alexandrite, the gem will photograph as a purple colour (even though you’re looking at a green gem and it’s poor quality and you’ve never seen it colour change)!

6. What’s the cut like? Old stones will not have precision or modern day faceting (unless they’ve been recut). Typically up until about 10-15 years ago, the majority of Alexandrite was cut to preserve weight so you’ll often see wonky culets, lopsided cuts etc. Of course there are much better examples on the market but these will be expensive.

7. Lastly, the old chestnut it’s a “Russian” Alexandrite. If somebody sells you one like this then ask for PROOF ie a lab report. Do not accept their word. There are so few on the market, if any. Unfortunately the word “Russian” is mis-used for sales purposes and, in some cases, to drive up the selling price by unscrupulous sellers. Labs can sometimes identify locality for Alexandrite but not always. If the gem doesn’t have a report from a reputable gem lab do not accept that it’s Russian even if the seller’s grandmother was called Ekatarina and only moved to the US in 1902 or whatever!

8. One test (but it’s not conclusive on its own) is to look at the Refractive Index of the gem. Alexandrite should be 1.741-1.760.

Very few gemologists have been lucky enough to see Russian Alexandrite in any quantity whatsoever and from that location the gem is so rare that a huge proportion of gemologists won’t have seen any at all. They may well have seen Alexandrite from other locations though. Labs also cannot always determine provenance and buyers need to be aware. Typically however Labs have seen Alexandrite from other locations so will be able to give you a good idea if there are any doubts.

The value of Alexandrite is primarily in the strength of colour change, the size, the clarity and location (unless verified Russian) doesn’t really play much of a part in the equation. A good Alexandrite is going to fetch top Dollar and that’s the reason why this gem is often mis-sold. Buyer beware!

Please click here to see a natural alexandrite and how it changes colour:

Think about this when you jeweller tells you that you've just bought a Russian Alexandrite (or even an Alexandrite) - Even labs get it wrong! http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052970203511504576329081143859922.html?mod=googlenews_barrons#articleTabs_article=1

Photo 1 - pictures of synethic Alex (courtesy of David Weinberg)

Photo 2 - pictures of natural Alexandrite on www.multicolour.com showing the difference in quality and colour change

Disclaimer: The above is merely from my experience as a collector of this gemstone for over 20 years. If any of the above is incorrect, please feel free to say and also add any comments you feel may be helpful!

On sites like multicolour.com, what should one look for? Example: http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/alexandrite/yax380aa/ This stone seems perfect to me but I have only recently been studying the stone. Also, what of the many optional reports is crucial? *Looking for engagement stone for tbd setting, pending finding my alexandrite stone.

Thank you!!

 

[Bron357]

On sites like multicolour.com, what should one look for? Example: http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/alexandrite/yax380aa/ This stone seems perfect to me but I have only recently been studying the stone. Also, what of the many optional reports is crucial? *Looking for engagement stone for tbd setting, pending finding my alexandrite stone.

Thank you!!

The Alex is very dark and will darken even more when set. I think you’ll find it a rather murky color no matter the lighting conditions.
And that’s the problem, good Alexandrite with a lovely clear daylight colour and a strong change under incandescent can cost over $30,000 a carat. Seriously.
And just to make it harder, different lighting conditions cause a different colour. In my house alone I have LED types and different warm incandescent so as I go room to room the colour changes and not all of them are as attractive as others. My favorite is the bathroom lighting whereas the dining room lighting is yuk.
Whoever you buy from make certain they have a no fuss return policy. Alexandrite is definately a gem you need to see with your own eyes and try out in the lighting condition you have. Alexandrite colours are very difficult to replicate in photos / computer screens and studio lighting is not like your home or office lighting.
You will pay a lot of money for a good Alexandrite if you can find one. If your love is colour change gems, look also at Garnet and Sapphire. These colour change gems can be more attractive and cheaper to buy than a mediocre example of Alexandrite.

 

[erinalexandrite]

The Alex is very dark and will darken even more when set. I think you’ll find it a rather murky color no matter the lighting conditions.
And that’s the problem, good Alexandrite with a lovely clear daylight colour and a strong change under incandescent can cost over $30,000 a carat. Seriously.
And just to make it harder, different lighting conditions cause a different colour. In my house alone I have LED types and different warm incandescent so as I go room to room the colour changes and not all of them are as attractive as others. My favorite is the bathroom lighting whereas the dining room lighting is yuk.
Whoever you buy from make certain they have a no fuss return policy. Alexandrite is definately a gem you need to see with your own eyes and try out in the lighting condition you have. Alexandrite colours are very difficult to replicate in photos / computer screens and studio lighting is not like your home or office lighting.
You will pay a lot of money for a good Alexandrite if you can find one. If your love is colour change gems, look also at Garnet and Sapphire. These colour change gems can be more attractive and cheaper to buy than a mediocre example of Alexandrite.

Thank you so much for your reply. It is not so much that I want a colour change gem as alexandrite is personally special to me. With such a hefty price tag, I am also concerned about purchasing and wearing daily in an engagement ring. I am thinking perhaps that I should use a diamond for engagement and spend my next years hunting and saving for an alexandrite stone to place in more of a statement piece, something I will wear less often.
Thank you again for your response!

 

[lovedogs]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is not so much that I want a colour change gem as alexandrite is personally special to me. With such a hefty price tag, I am also concerned about purchasing and wearing daily in an engagement ring. I am thinking perhaps that I should use a diamond for engagement and spend my next years hunting and saving for an alexandrite stone to place in more of a statement piece, something I will wear less often.
Thank you again for your response!

Have you considered lab alexandrite? It's chemically the same as natural, and gorgeous. Look on the "fabulous fashion jewelry" for pics. But if you want natural, I would probably get a diamond for your engagement ring and then Alex for a different ring (since it's usually almost impossible to find Alex in sizes that people want for an engagement ring)

 

[Bron357]

If I were wanting a lovely Alexandrite engagement ring, this one would be my choice.
The Alex is just under 2 carat (this reduces price) and has good daylight and incandescent colours, the colours you want to see in Alexandrite.
It is GIA certified as natural and comes in a lovely diamond mount.
It’s $5,995 which is the same price point as the other Alex you liked but this one has much better colours and it already in a ring. If you were keen to design your own ring, you could easily sell the mount by itself (probably $1,500) or set another gem in it and have a stunning RHR as well.
It’s a business seller on eBay. Item number 19627625055.

 

[Mohamed Sadath]

Over the years, we’ve seen quite a high number of threads from people who have either inherited or bought a ring that is purported to be an Alexandrite OR a Russian Alexandrite. Unfortunately, most of these threads end up with confirmation they have (usually) synthetic corundum laced with vanadium to produce the colour changing properties. Unfortunately even from the turn of the century, which surprises many people, synthetic corundum was used in place of genuine gemstones. The science of imitating Alexandrite has of course advanced and flux grown Alexandrite is very common (and looks very much like the real thing) and also Czochralski Alexandrite that tends to be quite teal looking in daylight although much less common can be found.

To put it into perspective, especially when looking at Russian Alexandrite, only 2,000 kilos of rough were mined in the Urals in the 1800s. When you think how much is lost in the faceting process, you can see that it wouldn’t have been a gem that was easy to get hold of! To compare, from the same mine came around 20,000 kilos of Emeralds

Since the original find in Russia, other sources of Alexandrite have been found in Brazil, India, Madagascar, Tanzania, Australia and Myanmar. None of these finds have been long lived or plentiful but some beautiful examples have been found certainly in Brazil, Tanzania and India. In 1987 in Brazil there was a find at Minas Gerais that lasted around 4 months, the total .mined weight was around 50kgs. The one thing all the finds from around the world have in common is that the Alexandrite must be green in daylight (perhaps with a secondary of blue, brown or grey) moving to a pinky-mauve in the evenings. Although I have seen red flashes in some Alexandrite at night, I’ve never seen one change to “red” and with the exception of the Timo Hammid Alexandrite, I don’t know that one exists (and I don’t know anybody who has seen that gem in real life or whether the photograph of it is accurate or not).

So what are the warning signs to look for?

1. How big is the gem? If it’s a big one then start thinking you’re either going to be very wealthy OR (more likely) that it’s synthetic.

2. Are there inclusions? If it’s too clean, you need to start thinking synthetic again. Alexandrite is a Type II gemstone which means that inclusions are expected in the gemstone. Of course there are eye clean ones available but these will cost you much much much more than one with inclusions!

3. If there are inclusions, what do they look like? In synthetics you can often see small dust like particles, gas bubbles, curved striations or even feathers.

4. If the gem isn’t green in daylight and then a pinky/purple at night it’s definitely not a natural Alexandrite. The only exception to this is a poor quality Alexandrite – these can be khaki/brownish during the day and move to an orangey sort of colour in the evening.

5. If you pick up your normal camera and take a photo of the gem in daylight and the picture resembles what you see with your eyes (ie a green gemstone) then you’re either a very talented photographer OR the gem you have is not Alexandrite. Due to the way the gem reacts, it’s virtually impossible to photograph accurately. Even with natural Alexandrite, the gem will photograph as a purple colour (even though you’re looking at a green gem and it’s poor quality and you’ve never seen it colour change)!

6. What’s the cut like? Old stones will not have precision or modern day faceting (unless they’ve been recut). Typically up until about 10-15 years ago, the majority of Alexandrite was cut to preserve weight so you’ll often see wonky culets, lopsided cuts etc. Of course there are much better examples on the market but these will be expensive.

7. Lastly, the old chestnut it’s a “Russian” Alexandrite. If somebody sells you one like this then ask for PROOF ie a lab report. Do not accept their word. There are so few on the market, if any. Unfortunately the word “Russian” is mis-used for sales purposes and, in some cases, to drive up the selling price by unscrupulous sellers. Labs can sometimes identify locality for Alexandrite but not always. If the gem doesn’t have a report from a reputable gem lab do not accept that it’s Russian even if the seller’s grandmother was called Ekatarina and only moved to the US in 1902 or whatever!

8. One test (but it’s not conclusive on its own) is to look at the Refractive Index of the gem. Alexandrite should be 1.741-1.760.

Very few gemologists have been lucky enough to see Russian Alexandrite in any quantity whatsoever and from that location the gem is so rare that a huge proportion of gemologists won’t have seen any at all. They may well have seen Alexandrite from other locations though. Labs also cannot always determine provenance and buyers need to be aware. Typically however Labs have seen Alexandrite from other locations so will be able to give you a good idea if there are any doubts.

The value of Alexandrite is primarily in the strength of colour change, the size, the clarity and location (unless verified Russian) doesn’t really play much of a part in the equation. A good Alexandrite is going to fetch top Dollar and that’s the reason why this gem is often mis-sold. Buyer beware!

Please click here to see a natural alexandrite and how it changes colour:

Think about this when you jeweller tells you that you've just bought a Russian Alexandrite (or even an Alexandrite) - Even labs get it wrong! http://online.barrons.com/article/S...?mod=googlenews_barrons#articleTabs_article=1

Photo 1 - pictures of synethic Alex (courtesy of David Weinberg)

Photo 2 - pictures of natural Alexandrite on www.multicolour.com showing the difference in quality and colour change

Disclaimer: The above is merely from my experience as a collector of this gemstone for over 20 years. If any of the above is incorrect, please feel free to say and also add any comments you feel may be helpful!

Thank you so much LD. Very useful article.

 

[LD]

It's been quite a while since I started this thread but I thought I would show you a few photos to illustrate what an Alex should look like! Of course photographing Alex to show the "real" colour and what you see with your eyes is the worst job in the world but I hope this thread helps you to evaluate your own Alex or buy a good stone.

Firstly, I've found that Alexandrite that have a weaker colour change will show their "green" daylight colour in photographs much more than a stone that has a moderate to good colour change. By way of an example, here's a few of mine, taken with an iPhone, on my hand in daylight (midday in the UK - not sunny, not too cloudy). The arrows show you the stones that have a weak colour change and you can see they look more "green" than the other Alex around them. The Alex with the stronger colour change are refusing to show their green and look purple. With my eyes, and without the camera ALL of these rings look green in daylight but this photograph is just to illustrate what the camera may capture.



So let's look at some earrings that are not top quality. What I mean by that is that they have a paler than desired daylight colour. (Don't forget a good Alex will have a great colour and saturation in both daylight and incandescent lighting). So, these are pale green with some grey during the day and a very pale sort of lilac pink at night. This colour in both daylight and incandescent lighting was fairly easy to capture beause of the weak colour change although the daytime green is slightly more apple green in real life.



In terms of what is available on the market today, these earrings would probably be fairly expensive to buy purely because of how unusual they are, the overall carat weight and that they do have some (albeit weak) colour change but they are most definitely NOT top quality.

Something else to consider is that Alexandrite is a type 2 gemstone. What does that mean? It means that it is more likely to have inclusions than not. Eye clean stones are of course prized but inclusions can actually enhance the colour change! Here you can see a fairly included Alex and you can see that the silk inclusions magnifies the change and the lighter pink areas are the most included parts of the stone!



So now let's look at what an Alex SHOULD look like during the day. I have only once been able to capture the green I see with my eyes and it happened when I was sitting in my car, on a very cold but bright day in the UK. I happened to glance down and thought the ring looked pretty so took a photo and ............ well ............... the photograph (for once) came out showing me exactly what I could see with my eyes. I was SO surprised that I pulled over a few miles further down the road and decided to do a nicer photoshoot! What happened? I couldn't capture the green at all. I have no idea what collided in the universe to allow me to capture the green this one time but it must have been a combination of lighting and angle! Anyway, this is the green of a very nice Alex that you should see during the day.






Please excuse the chipped nail varnish!

Now in these photos you can see why some people mistakenly look at an Alex and call it an Emerald. Anybody who knows anything about Emeralds or Alex wouldn't but this photograph does demonstrate the "real" daylight green you should be looking for (give or take - some will have more blue, some more grey etc).

So what colour should you see at night? Unfortunately with the advent of LED and halogen light bulbs the colour change you see may well depend on the type of lighting. However, with a strong colour changer you should be seeing a purple with maybe some hints of pink and red. That's the ideal.

There are some Alex that have a more ginger/brown colour at night. These are still Alexandrites but perhaps not the optiumum colour change you want to see. Some people prefer this and certainly, these types of Alex tend to have a lovely green during the day so it can be a good trade off. Some Brazilian Alex may have a very blue/green during the day but their night-time colour isn't as impressive. Where the Alex has been mined definitely has an impact of the colour change (although of course there are good and bad at each mine). Interestingly, the Russian Alex tend to be more included and the night-time colour can be underwhelming!

Very few look like a ruby at night (that was a myth I think that was put out at the time of its discovery so that it mimicked the Tsar's Russian colours of red and green). I've seen one or two top top top quality that have been slightly more red than purple but in terms of being able to buy them, unless you're a millionaire, they're probably out of most people's affordability.

This was the seller's image


And my poor photography skills!






All of these stones have lab reports and are natural Alex. You can see that the predominant colour you will see at night varies but these are the sorts of colourways you might want but don't forget the stone needs to look attractive during the day as well! Generally speaking you want a strong, even colour change. You don't want a muddy or partial changer.

If you're buying online please make sure there is a good solid return policy. This is one gemstone that's a nightmare to buy online. When you get it, evaluate it in ALL lighting conditions because it's how it performs that dictates a lot of the price. If you find one with an attractive daytime colour but the other colour change is less than impressive, that's fine but the price should reflect that and you should love it!

Hope this helps!

 

[Voodoo Child]

Thank you for posting this LD! It’s so hard to capture with a camera what my eyes see when I look at my wife’s ring. It seems like every little thing affects how the stone looks, from the time of day and angle of the light source to the type of light source (i.e. a 60w bulb vs a 25w bulb).

 

[Anniebee1313]

Wonderful blog - probably the most in depth I’ve seen on the web. I believe this set is Alexandrite as the stone changes to several different shades of purple/raspberry and then to a blue/green tint. There are Russian hallmarks on each of the pieces and the set does appear to be 100+ years old. It sounds like a lot of Alexandrite isn’t natural with a lot of synthetic and/or lab. I’m 99% sure this is synthetic, but why did the Russians set in elaborate gold?

 

[Anniebee1313]

Wonderful blog - probably the most in depth I’ve seen on the web. I believe this set is Alexandrite as the stone changes to several different shades of purple/raspberry and then to a blue/green tint. There are Russian hallmarks on each of the pieces and the set does appear to be 100+ years old. It sounds like a lot of Alexandrite isn’t natural with a lot of synthetic and/or lab. I’m 99% sure this is synthetic, but why did the Russians set in elaborate gold?

I will also say that no matter what I do, the green won’t photograph. The outside picture attached is actually green/blue, but looks perfectly purple in the picture.