The month of July

I can't believe July is almost over and I didn't had the time to post the birthstone of this month, but don't worry I will. I don't know were the days are slipping by, didn't had the time to create some new jewelry, but the ideas are piling up in my head. Thank you for reading my blog.

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Check out my new listing on Tweba - Chalk Turquois necklace - http://ping.fm/gH6R3

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JUNE BIRTHSTONE - ALEXANDRITE

Last but not list ALEXANDRITE is one of the three birthstone for the month of June.

This rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. It certainly has a noble history. Since it shows both red and green, the principal colours of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia.

Beautiful alexandrite in top quality, however, is very rare indeed and hardly ever used in modern jewellery.

COLOUR:

The most sensational feature about this stone, however, is its surprising ability to change its colour. Green or bluish-green in daylight, alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristics makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities.

Good quality is teal, emerald or blue green under natural daylight, often a slightly grey, blue/violet/purple is seen. Alexandrite is a pleochroic gemstone that will show different colors depending on the orientation of the table to the optic axis.

Alexandrite is very scarce: this is due to its chemical composition. It is basically a chrysoberyl cat's eye and colour-changing alexandrite (also in cat's eye varieties). It differs from other chrysoberyls in that it not only contains iron and titanium, but also chromium as a major impurity.

Like many other gemstones, alexandrite emerged millions of years ago in a metamorphic environment. Its formation required specific geological conditions. The chemical elements beryllium (a major constituent in chrysobery) and chromium (the colouring agent in alexandrite) have contrasting chemical characteristics and do not as a rule occur together, usually being found in contrasting rick types. Not only has nature brought these contrasting rock types into contact with each other, but a lack of the chemical element silica (the second most common element in the Earth's crust) is also required to prevent the growth of emerald. This geological scenario has occurred only rarely in the Earth's history and, as a result, alexandrite crystals are very scarce indeed.

ORIGIN:

Russia has remained the primary source of alexandrite. In 1987, when alexandrites were discovered in a place called Hematita in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The Brazilian alexandrites showed both a distinctive colour change and good clarity and colour. The colour of the Brazilian stones is admittedly not as strong a green as that of Russian alexandrite, but the colour change is clearly discernible. Today Hematita is one of the most important deposits of alexandrite in economic terms. Alexandrites are also obtained from sources in Sri Lanka, but the hue of these stones compares less than favourably with that of the Uralian alexandrites. They appear green in daylight and a brownish red in artificial light. The Tunduru area in southern Tanzania has also produced some outstanding specimens since the mid-1990s. Alexandrites are also found in India, Burma, Madagascar and Zimbabwe. This stone still considered a rarity.

MYTHS, LEGENDS AND LORE:
Alexandrite is relatively new gemstone that was only discovered some 150 years ago. It is also suggested as the gemstone for the 55Th wedding anniversary.

In India alexandrite is associated with the planet Mercury - the trickster. Alexandrite's ability to change color and its obviously dual nature associated with the Zodiac sign of Gemini, which is a sign ruled by Mercury.

As Mercury is associated with air, alexandrite in an air stone and so connected to the throat chakra, but because of its duality in color, it has also been associated with the heart, the solar plexus, and the crown chakra.

Mercury represents the power of the mind, our ability to think, perceive and communicate and it rules over the power of our words and how we use them. Alexandrite can be used in meditation, as healing stone to promote emotional balance, and to bring about change, happiness, and success. Alexandrite is said to be useful for overcoming a lack of confidence, low self-esteem and a lack of direction or focus in life. Meditation with the stone is supposed to help identify goals and plan how to begin working towards them. Alexandrite is also purported to relieve spleen and pancreas problems and help treat swollen lymph nodes.

Alexandrite is a magical gemstone with universal appeal that continues to fascinate and be admired by astrologers, scientists, and gem lovers throughout the world.

With this I am closing the birthstone for the month of June.