Alexandrite: June Birthstone Looks

Hello to all our June babies and happy birthday to you! This month’s birthstone is the beautiful alexandrite and we are so happy to welcome this month with this gorgeous gem. Here at Jaimie Nicole we have the perfect gift for anyone celebrating a birthday this month. But before we get into that, we wanted to give you a little history and background information on alexandrite. Alexandrite is an extremely rare gemstone and a fairly modern one to boot. Interestingly enough, it is also the stone used to commemorate the 55^th year of marriage.  It does not share the ancient history and lore of most other gems since it was first discovered in the 19^th Century.  The name Alexandrite comes from the fact that the gemstone was first discovered in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in Russia’s Ural Mountains in 1830, on the day of Prince Alexander II of Russia’s birthday. The story of the stone’s discovery goes like this: Miners were working alone in the mountains one day, collecting emeralds. One miner gathered some stones, which looked like emeralds and took them back to the camp at the end of the day. But in the light of the campfire, the stones shone a brilliant shade of red! The miners were perplexed. When morning came, and they saw that the stones were green again in the light, they realized that they had found a new and mysterious gem. In 1839, the stones were identified and named "alexandrite." Because the stones appeared green or red, the same colors as Old Imperial Russia’s military colors, the stone became the national stone of tsarist Russia. In time, alexandrite would become one of the most prized gemstones amongst Russian Aristocracy. However, the abundance of alexandrite in Russia did not last forever. Practically all of Russia’s alexandrite was mined during the 19th Century. However, just when the gems were thought to be headed to extinction, even larger deposits were found in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, the island south of India. Later, Brazil became another contributor to the world supply of the stone. Alexandrite encourages romance. It is also said that through the stone, joy enters the lives of people with too much self-discipline. The stone reminds us of our purpose in life and our origin. It gives hope to those who are in despair about their lives. It brings strength and constantly reminds them of the light. With its changing color, it is a reminder that life is not always what it seems to be. Alexandrite is also useful for one’s emotional wellbeing, as well as promoting self-esteem and the ability to be appreciative of the world around us. The stone assists one in developing “inner energy changes” which correspond with age and maturation. Alexandrite can aid in centering oneself. With all that being said, you can see why this birthstone is in high demand and will make a great gift for any friend or loved one! Our birthstone necklaces are pre-packaged and come with a card that gives a brief explanation of some of the properties of this wonderful stone. The necklace measures approximately 16” and has a 3.5” extender chain. It features eleven stunning cubic zirconia charms in this beautiful light purple hue. Style tip: layer with our multi-colored birthstone necklace to jazz up your look and add a pop of color to any outfit. Alexandrite is the perfect addition to any spring wardrobe! We hope you enjoyed learning about this month’s birthstone. These necklaces can be found online at Jaimienicole.com and are also in stock at our showroom in Coral Gables. We are located at 4649 Ponce de Leon Boulevard suite 305 and are open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. We would love to see you here and help with all your gifting needs!   Xoxo Jaimie