(ש"ע) אלכסנדריט (אבן המשמשת כתכשיט)

n. type of stone used in jewelry

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Noun
1. a green variety of chrysoberyl used as a gemstone
(hypernym) chrysoberyl

nm. alexandrite, type of stone used in jewelry

Discovered in 1830 in Russia, and named after Czar Alexander II of who was then Crown Prince of Russia, alexandrite is a form of the mineral chrysoberyl noted for its color change in different forms of light. In sunlight alexandrite looks blue-green, but in indoor (tungsten) light it the same stone changes to reddish-purple. Natural alexandrite with good color is very expensive today, as very little is still being mined, and there are many synthetics on the market. Synthetic color-change sapphire is also sometimes mistaken for alexandrite.

ALESSANDRITE