Long and slender like a willow leaf, this 0.740 ct Russian alexandrite from the Malysheva mine in the Ural Mountains is cut as an elongated oval almost twice as long as it is wide. Its 8 mm length gives a face-up presence far larger than its weight suggests, a shape that elongates the finger and has become a favorite of modern designers. In daylight the stone shows a juicy, deep emerald green with a cool blue-green depth, intense and saturated. As the light warms toward evening the color shifts completely to a dense violet-purple with glints of pink. This bold, deep-toned transformation is the signature of chromium-rich Ural alexandrite. Inside, fine fibrous inclusions and healed fractures weave through the crystal like veins in a leaf. They are characteristic of Malysheva material, formed alongside Russian emerald in the Ural schists, and confirm the stone’s natural, untreated origin. The elongated oval is Russian cut, measuring 8.00 × 4.19 × 2.70 mm, with balanced, spread proportions that make the most of the stone’s length and color. In person it shows rich, deep color in both lights, with a striking contrast between its daytime green and its evening violet. It is natural and untreated, confirmed by the Marianovich Gems Certificate of Authenticity. Genuine Ural alexandrite with a beautiful color change in a rare elongated oval makes this an elegant choice for a toi-et-moi ring, a slim solitaire or a refined drop pendant that changes with the hour.
