Green by daylight, red by lamplight — genuine colour-change alexandrite is vanishingly rare. Treat certification as mandatory and verify it with the lab.
Alexandrite is the most famous colour-change gemstone: a fine stone looks green in daylight and red under incandescent or candle light, caused by the way its crystal absorbs light across the spectrum. Genuine alexandrite is vanishingly rare, and prices for strong, well-sized examples exceed almost everything else in the gem world. Sri Lanka produces alexandrite alongside Brazil, Russia and East Africa.
The strength and completeness of the change is the first thing to judge — a stone that turns from a muddy green to a dull brown is a different proposition from one shifting vivid green to bright red. Imitations and synthetics are common: colour-change synthetic corundum and cubic zirconia are widely sold, so for any serious stone a laboratory report confirming natural alexandrite is essential. Buy on the certificate and on the colour change you can see with your own eyes, in both lighting types.
No alexandrites listed right now — new stones arrive often.
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