Claudia Florian
Co-Consulting Director, Gemologist
Fine Gems, Opals, Lapidary Arts and Natural History / Fine Chrysoberyl var. Alexandrite
Lot 3020
Fine Chrysoberyl var. Alexandrite
17 May 2022, 10:00 PDT
Los AngelesSold for US$25,500 inc. premium
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Esther Park
Cataloguer
Fine Chrysoberyl var. Alexandrite
Sri Lanka
Named for Tsar Alexander II, this rare and beautiful gem, of top quality, is hardly used in modern jewelry due to its rarity. In antique Russian jewelry you may come across it with a little luck, since Russian master jewelers loved this stone. Tiffany's master gemologist George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932), was also fascinated by alexandrite, and the jeweler's firm produced some beautiful rings and platinum ensembles at the turn of the last century. Smaller alexandrites were occasionally also used in Victorian jewelry from England.
The present offering is a cushion-shaped chrysoberyl var. alexandrite changing from green to pinkish-brown, with changes in color observed in fluorescent vs. incandescent light. Weighing approximately 3.84 carats and measuring 12.53 x 8.29 x 4.30mm
Named for Tsar Alexander II, this rare and beautiful gem, of top quality, is hardly used in modern jewelry due to its rarity. In antique Russian jewelry you may come across it with a little luck, since Russian master jewelers loved this stone. Tiffany's master gemologist George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932), was also fascinated by alexandrite, and the jeweler's firm produced some beautiful rings and platinum ensembles at the turn of the last century. Smaller alexandrites were occasionally also used in Victorian jewelry from England.
The present offering is a cushion-shaped chrysoberyl var. alexandrite changing from green to pinkish-brown, with changes in color observed in fluorescent vs. incandescent light. Weighing approximately 3.84 carats and measuring 12.53 x 8.29 x 4.30mm
Footnotes
Accompanied by an American Gemological Laboratories report numbered 1115034 dated May 26, 2021 stating that the 3.84 carats natural chrysoberyl var. alexandrite shows no gemological evidence of enhancements treatments and that it originates from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Its color changes from green to pink-brown showing a strong degree of color-change of 70 - 80% and very good quality of color-change.