These are genuine, lab-created alexandrite facet rough sawn from the unusuable parts of crystals grown for laser usage.
This is a rarity in the gem world, synthetic alexandrite. Alexandrite is the color-changing chromium-bearing variety of chrysoberyl, and it has been a popular gem since the first natural deposits were discovered in Russia. Its high hardness (8.5) and durability, combined with its incredible combination of colors, have made it a classic. The only limiting factor is its rarity which has kept it more obscure than gems like ruby and sapphire. Even lab-created alexandrite is quite uncommon. Synthetic alexandrite is mostly grown for industry, where it is used in some particular high-end laser systems, and the process to grow it is very expensive. Little is produced anymore, and even when it was produced it was uncommon on the gem market. Usually instead lab-created sapphire with a color change effect was sold as alexandrite, but that material is honestly boring compared to the real deal.
Real synthetic alexandrite has a range of weird properties. It is trichroic, with three different colors visible depending on how the stone is oriented which also change depending on the lighting. These include green, red, purple and blue, and a well cut stone might show flashes of all of them in the right mix of lights. The material we have is also strongly fluorescent with a red glow which adds on top of the other colors. My camera struggles to capture the color change but it is very striking, even changing between direct sunlight and clouded sunlight.
Alexandrite is the color-changing chromium-bearing variety of chrysoberyl, and it has been a popular gem since the first natural deposits were discovered in Russia. Its high hardness (8.5) and durability make it suitable even for ring wear, and that along with its incredible combination of colors has made it a classic. The only thing holding it back is its rarity. Oddly enough even lab-created alexandrite is quite uncommon. Synthetic alexandrite is mostly grown for industry, where it is used in some particular high-end laser systems, and the process to grow it is very expensive. Very little is produced anymore, and even when it was produced it was uncommon on the gem market. Usually instead lab-created sapphire with a color change effect was sold as alexandrite, but that material really can't hold a candle to alexandrite.
