Alexandrite Myths and Legends: A Gem of Surprise and Sorrow
Some gemstones arrive in history with a mythological bang (think heroes, gods, and cosmic battles), while others sneak in more quietly.
Alexandrite is definitely the latter. It doesn't have an ancient Greek legend or a Babylonian curse, but it does have drama: a case of mistaken identity, imperial flair, and a sombre nickname born of love and loss.
Let’s rewind to the 1830s, deep in the Ural Mountains of Russia, where our chameleon-like gem made its first appearance.
From Ruby by Candlelight to Emerald by Day
The story goes that miners were working Russia's Tokovaya River region, searching for emeralds in the grey daylight of the Ural wilderness. One evening, under the glow of candlelight, a striking red gem caught their attention, surely a ruby. But when morning came, the same stone had turned a rich green.
Initially this led to much confusion, then fascination, and eventually, celebration.
This wasn’t a ruby or an emerald. It was something entirely new.
The gem was first officially described in 1834 by Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld, who immediately realised this wasn’t your average chrysoberyl. It had an extraordinary ability to shift colour depending on the light. Green in daylight, red in incandescent or candlelight.
The stone, naturally, needed a name to match its spectacular colour-change effect.
A Gem Fit for a Future Tsar
Enter Alexander (soon to be Alexander II), a teenager and heir to the title of Tsar.
In the spirit of imperial pride, and possibly a spot of courting favour, the gem was named alexandrite in his honour.
The choice couldn’t have been more symbolic. The colours of alexandrite, red and green, just so happened to be the official colours of Imperial Russia. Alexandrite quickly became a national gemstone and a favourite among Russian aristocracy.
For a while, it was a gem of prestige and mystery. But its most haunting legacy would emerge a century later, during one of history’s darkest chapters.
The Widow’s Stone: Love and Loss in World War II
Fast forward to World War II, when alexandrite’s symbolism took a sorrowful turn.
Soldiers would give alexandrite jewellery (usually synthetic alexandrite) to their wives or sweethearts before heading to the front. The gem’s shifting colours were said to represent duality: hope and grief, life and death.
Many of these men never returned from war. As such alexandrite started to be known as the “widow’s stone.”
There were even rumours that the alexandrite would turn permanently red after the death of the loved one who gifted it. While it wouldn't be possible for this to be true, the association stuck. The gem became linked with mourning, remembrance, and the bittersweet memories of wartime love in Russia.
A Legacy of Light and Shadow
Despite its relatively modern origin, alexandrite has earned a mythology all its own, not from ancient texts, but from human emotion. It’s a gem of dualities: of night and day, joy and sorrow, beginnings and endings.
Today, alexandrite remains one of the rarest and most fascinating gemstones in the world. Natural stones are incredibly scarce, making even small pieces precious. And while its story may not stretch back thousands of years, it doesn’t need to. With its magical lightplay, imperial roots, and poignant wartime legacy, alexandrite has earned its place in gemstone lore.