Inherited Alexandrite

[CDNinNYC]

Hello all!

I don't normally post in this section but hope you can provide me and a friend some information on a ring she inherited from her grandmother. All she was told was that it was an Alexandrite. She asked me to help find an appraiser for her but I'm not clear on who to go to. Can anyone provide recommendations?

Also, I've been reading up on synthetic stones. Is there a way to tell by looking at it to determine authenticity?

I have some pictures I took earlier (indoors). It was ridiculously difficult to capture the colour changes. Its main colour is a lovely purple but it easily changed to blue when I brought it to the window. Under kitchen lighting, red flashes came out. My friend suggested taking it outside, so maybe I can take some photos tomorrow. Do particular colour changes help determine origin? I didn't see any green, I don't think, but maybe I will outside.

Here are some of the photos I took. (Please excuse the dry hands!) Any information/help/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

 

[T L]

It's synthetic color change corundum. Alexandrites do not color change from purple to blue, and it's too large and clean to be anything else.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh but TL, can we just imagine for a minute that it is a real alexandrite?!! Can you imagine the value? It might just be enough to put both my sons through college!

 

[LD]

I'm really sorry but that is 100% not an Alexandrite for all the reasons TL has stated. If it were real then I suspect it would have attracted the worlds press as it would possibly be one of the largest, cleanest specimens in the world. Having said that it's a cool cocktail ring so enjoy wearing it.

 

[JewelFreak]

Too bad, if it were real you'd have won the lottery! I really like the setting -- the gallery is neat. If it's gold, it would be great re-set w/something nice.

--- Laurie

 

[Pandora II]

It is 99.9% certain to be a synthetic colour-change sapphire coloured by Vanadium - they were very popular as an Alexandrite substitute. Synthetic sapphires were first produced in the 1880's and were very popular at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Ninety nine times out of a hundred when someone mentions their grandmother's antique alexandrite ring it will be one of these.

 

[Enerchi]

No matter what it turns out to be, its a really cool cocktail ring with a family connection that may mean a lot to the wearer. It is quite an impressive presentation, be it synthetic or glass or resin! Its an attention grabber, for sure. Wonder if grandmother knew it may not be real?

Thanks for the photos, CdninNYC

 

[CDNinNYC]

TL, minousbijoux, LD, JewelFreak, Pandora, and Enerchi, thank you so much for replying! Yes, I had noticed how clean it looked, so even with my limited knowledge on CS, I knew to suspect it was synthetic.

I don't think my friend's grandmother knew at the time what it could be. It was a gift from her husband who travelled quite extensively. My friend didn't think it was anything other than a pretty cocktail ring until her husband took it in to a NYC 47th St. jeweler and it was the jeweler who said it was an Alexandrite, quite rare, and his wife shouldn't be out wearing it without getting it appraised and insured.

Her husband had refused to let her wear it for fear of being mugged. So, while I'm sure she'll be bummed when I tell her she isn't holding a king's ransom at least she can wear her grandma's ring again.

JewelFreak, I agree the setting is lovely. There are two stamps on it, one indicating it's 18K gold. The other looks like a JC or JG; I'm assuming it's the designer.

Thanks again! I appreciate you all taking the time to respond.

 

[minousbijoux]

As others have said, even as synthetic, its a beautiful stone with gorgeous color in an equally pretty setting. Your friend should wear it with pride.

 

[Lee Little]

Maybe ask that jeweler if he wants to buy it. hehe

 

[chrono]

That's not a ring; it's a door knob! Seriously, enjoy it for what it is, a sentimental piece handed down by her grandmother.

 

[Pandora II]

Maybe ask that jeweler if he wants to buy it. hehe

This!

 

[beau-wy]

My friend didn't think it was anything other than a pretty cocktail ring until her husband took it in to a NYC 47th St. jeweler and it was the jeweler who said it was an Alexandrite, quite rare, and his wife shouldn't be out wearing it without getting it appraised and insured.

Her husband had refused to let her wear it for fear of being mugged.

Thank you for this! I chuckled out loud imagining the reaction of the gemologist/muggers seeing it on the street:

"Cripes Jake! Will you look at the size and quality of that color change chrysoberyl, var. Alexandrite! C'mon, let's drag 'er into an alley and swipe it!"

 

[partgypsy]

The limited exchanges I have had with jewelers, most are very uninformed about gemstones. I would take any jewelers comment (unless they have a specialty in gemstones) with a huge grain of salt.

I brought in my grandmother's pendant to a jeweler to look at, which was supposed to be precious topaz but is more likely either regular (yellow) topaz.
The jeweler kept saying it's topaz, which is a quartz. And I said, "do you mean topaz, or quartz, as in smoky quartz?" and he kept saying topaz, quartz, it's the same thing. Um no, 2 completely different stones.

 

[minousbijoux]

Its amazing that so many of them, who appear to know very little, have the opinions and confidence inversely proportional to their knowledge...

 

[Arkteia]

You know, coming from Russia... many of us had "heirloom" amethysts and alexandrites which we (with huge precautions) took over the border in here... Some people expected to sell their stones in the US and live on the proceedings from the sales... When I brought my "Russian alexandrite" which my great-grandmother bought in 1920 to an appraiser and he said it was a synthetic corundum, I just put it in my pocket. And he asked why I did not cry. It took me by surprise, and I said that I did not really invest in it. He said that some people were hysterical when they heard "the bad news", they really, really expected to get a fortune for their stones. Same with "old" aquamarines, amethysts, topazes and what not. All of these stones were fakes.

What I want to say is that your friend, like myself, got a nice gift from her relative, from her grandmother, a memory to keep, even if it was not an alexandrite. The ring looks beautiful, and the setting is gorgeous, and I would enjoy looking at it. In my life, I saw many real alexandrites, and 90% of them were drop-dead ugly, although I saw a few really good stones and one, Brazilian, to die for.