HISTORY OF ALEXANDRITE
 One of the most spectacular pleochroic (multicolored) stones known to humans is Alexandrite. Named for Czar Alexander II of Russia because of its discovery in the Ural mountains on his birthday in 1830, alexandrite is the June birthstone. This chromium-doped chrysoberyl (Cr+3;BeAl204) gemstone is one of the few trichroic minerals, exhibiting various hues of red/green (C-axis), blue/purple (A-axis) and yellow/orange (B-axis) depending on the lighting conditions and orientation of the crystal. The exact coloration is also dependent upon the stone size and the amount of chromium that was included in the material. Typical natural and created stones have 0.10 to 0.25 atomic percent chromium, which results in a stunning array of stone coloration. Additionally, alexandrite has a chemically stable structure with excellent mechanical properties (Moh hardness of 8.5). Thus, a properly faceted stone will provide a spectacular appearance that will last forever.
The Moh hardness scale is a relative ranking of materials based upon their ability to be mechanically altered:
| (1 easy through 10 very difficult) |
1) Talc
2) Gypsum
3) Calcite
4) Fluorite
5) Apatite
6) Orthoclase
feldspar |
7) Quartz
8) Topaz
8.5) Alexandrite
9) Corundum (sapphire)
10) Diamond |
HOW THE ALEXANDRITE IS CREATED
 The NeWave Alexandrite Company is producing the highest quality lab created gemstone material available in the industry. The alexandrite crystals were created using high purity starting materials under the most highly controlled laboratory conditions.
The material is produced by the Czochralski process, in which the solid material is slowly pulled from a liquid melt by initiation of growth on a high quality seed. The initial seed crystal is slowly raised from the high temperature liquid melt which is contained in an iridium crucible. The temperature of the melt is controlled by radio frequency heating. The surface of the melt is maintained around the point of solidification, i.e. 1,870°C for alexandrite. These synthetic crystals grow at a rate of approximately 1 mm/hour. The final diameter of the crystal boule is dictated by the size of the crucible, which can range from 3-4 inches in diameter and can reach 6-8 inches in length.
The ability to obtain large sized stones from this material is restricted by the presence of various levels of optical defects in the crystal boule. Typically the boule has a core region which has numerous dielectric inclusions (voids, bubbles) which cover greater than half the diameter. Other impurities, such as iridium from the crucible, can also be randomly included in the material. Large, high quality, “pure” gemstones, of five carats or greater, are rare if not impossible to find. NeWave Alexandrite is free from all of these visual defects and therefore displays a high degree of optical clarity. Only through the use of sophisticated interferometric equipment can microscopic strains and optical distortions be detected in this material so as to avoid mining impure material. With our unique patented process and trade secret know-how, the NeWave Alexandrite Company can provide the highest quality created alexandrite gemstones available in the marketplace.
NeWave Alexandrite Company
3535 Quaker Bridge Road Suite 700
Mercerville, NJ 08619
Phone: (609) 631-9181
Fax: (609) 587-9315
Email: mail@laserenergetics.com |
