GRADING REPORT RPA091
- Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Alexandrite
- Carat: 0.91
- Shape: Extra Long Shield (Spear)
- Measures: 8.99x4.36x3.19 (millimeter)
- Color Change: Strong
- Tone: MD75
- Color Zoning: None
- Clarity: Lightly Included
- Cutting Grade: Very Good
Brilliancy: 33%
Depth: 73%
- Origin: Masvingo, Zimbabwe
Treatment: None or Surface-Oil-Only* (see comment)
Certificate No: DSEF CB080013
Overall Grade: Very Good
Comment: Perhaps the most transparent gem from our selection of Fort Victoria, Zimbabwe alexandrites. So far, to my memory, the first one that has been graded as 'transparent' (not semi-). Though 'strength of color change' is the one most important price-driver in alexandrite you can see that the parcel of translucent to opaque alexes from Fort Victoria are NOT priced at top rate. The silky crystals and the often dark hues do affect value, even if you see in the images that we can produce an almost 100% color change between red to green. Now, this 0.91 is moving towards a brighter hue (even if still dark at MD75) and a cleaner crystal. Study these images in comparison with the opaque MD90 or this complete transparent MD60 . The long drop, almost spear shaped, gem sits somewhere in-between, as does its price. We are blessed with the ultra-strong color-change of the Zimbabwe mines, while shape, cut, and crystal of this 0.91 makes it almost a 'normal' alexandrite. The 9mm extra-length offers plenty of room for creative settings in pendant, ring or brooch.
* P.S. DSEF has also detected minor surface oil in the specific lot that they checked for this month. Before, we did not have this result (not from DSEF nor from IGI) and these gems all come from the same source and supply-path. We assume that either DSEF has raised its standards and that some oil has been left over from the cutting or polishing process. We do not consider these residues a 'treatment' since they were not done, nor resulted in, any enhancement of the gems. Further investigations will follow.
