Weighing 4.73 carats, the captivating cat's eye alexandrite in this Oscar Heyman creation exhibits the unique color change for which these rare stones are legendary. The cabochon stone displays a lovely yellowish-green hue in daylight and a purplish-red hue when viewed under ultraviolet light. Adding to the rarity of this regal jewel is the presence of a "cat's eye," otherwise known as chatoyancy. This phenomenon occurs when light reflects off of small, precisely aligned rutile inclusions in the stone to create the marvelous effect. Certified by the Gemological Institute of America to be a natural cat's eye alexandrite, this fabulous jewel has not undergone any treatment or enhancements to achieve its exceptionally rare color change or reflective phenomenon. The jewel is set in a platinum mounting with a double halo of white diamond accents.
An entrancing stone with a noble history, alexandrites of this caliber are among the most coveted gemstones in the world. While the alexandrite’s almost magical trait of dramatically changing colors in varying light makes it extremely valuable, its history makes it all the more intriguing. The first alexandrite was discovered in Russia in 1834 on the birthday of Tsar Alexander II and was thus named in his honor. Because the stone's natural color change resembles the national military colors of Russia - red and green - the tsar subsequently claimed all of the best examples of this natural chrysoberyl for the throne, making alexandrite truly the gemstone of royalty.
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