0.44 Ct. Alexandrite from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This pear shape alexandrite from Ceylon is a compact performer, weighing 0.44 carat and measuring 5.50 x 3.62 x 2.97 mm, and it offers a clarity and polish package that immediately sets it apart from many stones of similar size. The mixed brilliant cut is designed to balance deep pavilion light return with lively crown scintillation, and in this example the excellent polish allows crisp facet reflections that read as clean and bright to the eye. Evaluated as eye clean at standard viewing distance, this gem has minimal internal obstruction to interrupt light travel, so the stone displays more consistent flashes and mirror like facets than many alexandrites and color change stones that carry more visible inclusions. The medium light color intensity produces a refined appearance that does not overwhelm settings, and the natural green to brown change with no enhancement preserves the authentic pleochroic behavior of chrysoberyl. When you hold this piece from The Natural Gemstone Company up to daylight and then to incandescent light, the transition is clear, elegant, and naturally occurring, and that natural, unenhanced character is a major advantage for collectors and buyers who prefer provenance and minimal treatment.

When comparing reflective qualities to other gemstones in the color change category, this Ceylon alexandrite provides a different visual experience than color change sapphires and garnets. Alexandrite is chrysoberyl, and it benefits from an adamantine to vitreous luster and a refractive index that promotes strong light return while maintaining a moderate, refined dispersion. In plain sight this means the gem has crisp, concentrated flashes and a sharp contrast between light and dark areas, rather than the broad milky sheen that some lower RI stones can display. Color change sapphires can show dramatic hue shifts and strong saturation, but many of them are less lively in terms of scintillation because their cutting and crystal habit often emphasize color over reflected sparkle. Garnets that change color can be vivid, but they often lack the same mirror like facet reflections and typically show more of a soft glow rather than the tight, brilliant flashes you see from a well cut chrysoberyl. This 0.44 carat pear cut was fashioned to maximize internal reflection and surface polish, which gives it an advantage in ornamentation where wearability and eye catching sparkle matter.

Compared to treated and synthetic alternatives, this natural Ceylon alexandrite stands ahead in value and visual authenticity. Many market stones receive heat treatment or diffusion to intensify color or improve clarity. Those processes can sometimes create a more uniform appearance, but they can also reduce the subtle pleochroism and natural luster that make true alexandrite desirable. Synthetic alexandrites can mimic the color change under specific lighting, but they often lack the nuanced light return and facet contrast found in a natural, eye clean piece with an excellent polish. The mixed brilliant cut here enhances return of light from the pavilion while maintaining bright crown reflections, and because the stone is eye clean, those reflections are unimpeded and more consistent from different viewing angles. For someone choosing a center stone for fine jewelry, this gem from The Natural Gemstone Company offers the reassurance of natural origin, no enhancement, and a balance of color change with sparkling reflective qualities that will outperform many mass market color change gemstones in both daily wear and photographic settings.