ALEXANDRITE
Specimen alx-12
$ 150.00Dims: 2.5 x 1.9 x 1.0" (6.4 x 4.8 x 2.5 cm)
Wt: 2.59 oz. (73.5 g)
Malyshevo Mine, Ekaterinberg, former Sverdlowsk State, middle Urals, Russia
At least 20 orthorhombic prismatic Alexandrite crystals lie partly embedded in the mica schist matrix of this small hand specimen. These crystals range in diameter from a few millimeters to 0.4" (1.0 cm) and are generally in good condition, as only the most exposed crystal shows any visible human-induced damage. Many of these are still too deeply embedded to effectively study their form, but those that are exposed tend to show discernable, though often warped, forms. Some, however, show excellent form and are obviously twinned. I cannot be certain due to their intergrowth with their base, but a few of these my be cyclic twins. Their color is somewhat of a greenish-brown in incandescent light, but changes to a deep forest-green under fluorescent lighting. There is a good chance that other crystals are embedded in the schist host rock. I have a piece that I am working on at home with a steel dental probe.