AN IMPRESSIVE ALEXANDRITE PENDENT NECKLACE

Helen Molesworth, Specialist Jewellery Department, Geneva 'Alexandrite is a magical and enchanting gemstone. In the world of natural gems, it is arguably one of the most intriguing finds. First unearthed in Russia in the 1830s, the mineral astounded geologists with its almost unique optical 'colour-change' property, switching from raspberry-red to emerald-green dependent on incident light. There are some wonderful apocryphal stories behind the discovery of alexandrite whose colours were said to represent the country of its birth. Purportedly found on the day of the coming of age of the young Tsarevitch Alexander II, alexandrite was eponymously named in his honour. While the original deposits from Russia were a marvel at the time, and are still greatly treasured for their rarity, those more recently unearthed in Brazil are truly sensational. The newer material exhibits a fabulous vivid turquoise-green to deep amethyst-purple colour change, and this necklace is a superbly well-matched group of the finest specimens. Alexandrite is, to me, the most aesthetically beautiful, scientifically interesting, and historically fascinating gemstone; and as a jewel, this is an exceptional collection of such sophisticated gems'

Details

AN IMPRESSIVE ALEXANDRITE PENDENT NECKLACE
The detachable alexandrite pendant, set with a cushion-shaped alexandrite, weighing 8.86 carats, within a marquise-cut alexandrite surround, to the graduated marquise-cut alexandrite necklace, mounted in platinum, 40.0 cm long, in a blue suede pouch
Accompanied by report no. 0211087 dated 25 November 2002 from the Gübelin Gem Lab stating that the alexandrite is of Brazilian origin, displaying a pronounced colour-change from bluish-green in daylight and a purple in incandescent light (2)

Lot Essay

According to a note from the Gübelin Gem Lab accompanying the report,

'The 8.86 ct natural alexandrite described in the accompanying Gemstone Report possesses a very high degree of transparency, combined with a strong colour-change effect, from bluish-green when viewed in daylight to purple upon exposure to incandescent light. The alexandrite of the Hematita region in the Minas Gerais State of Brazil were first discovered during 1987 and quickly gained high international acclaim for the outstanding degree of colour-change exhibited by these extraordinary gems. Such a combination of high clarity and strong colour-change effect, in a Brazilian alexandrite is rare.'

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