The Gem That Changes Color — Emerald by Day, Ruby by Night — Rarer Than Diamond

Alexandrite is the gem that changes color — green in daylight, red under lamplight. Called “emerald by day, ruby by night,” it's rarer than diamond. This is its story. A gem that doesn't pick a color — Alexandrite is green in daylight, red under incandescent light. Called “emerald by day, ruby by night,” it's a trick of light and chemistry . First discovered in Russia's Ural Mountains in the 1830s, it was named after the future Tsar Alexander II . The stone's red and green hues just happened to match Russia's imperial colors, making it the official gem of the Tsardom . But the story gets complicated — the "birthday discovery" legend is more marketing than fact. In this video: How alexandrite changes color — the “alexandrite effect” Why it's rarer than diamond — beryllium and chromium almost never meet The Ural Mountains discovery and the Tsar's name Russia's mines ran dry — Brazil took over. But the color wasn't the same. Why buying alexandrite is a gamble — most commercial stones barely change color The 0.3-carat line — collector or pretender？ How much does it really cost？ Fine stones go for $10,000 to $50,000 per carat Subscribe: Subscribe if you want to know what's really going on in the jewelry world. Because I'll keep telling you the truth. They won't. Hashtags: #Alexandrite #ColorChangeGem #RarerThanDiamond #JewelryHistory #Gemstone #EmeraldByDayRubyByNight #JuneBirthstone #Chrysoberyl #Gemology