Color:
Transforms from greenish blue in daylight to pink or red in indoor light. Color change is caused by slight impurities of the element chromium. It shows a clearly visible pure hue color change such as green/blue in daylight to pure red in incandescent light.
Gem family:
Chrysoberyl
Birthstone:
June
History:
Discovered in Russia in 1830.
Use in jewelry:
Very rare and valuable gem, until recently was extemely difficult to obtain due to rarity. However, new sources in Brazil and Tanzania have made it more mainstream.
Mohs hardness:
8.5 (1 softest to 10 hardest)
Common treatments:
None reported.
Care:
Clean with warm water and mild soap. Stable in steam or ultrasonic cleaning.
