Alexandrite Earrings Buying Guide

Alexandrite earrings are a cut above the rest for so many reasons. From alexandrite’s beautiful color to its impressive hardness score on the Mohs scale, earrings embellished with this gemstone stand out like nothing else does. However, getting a pair of alexandrite earrings can be daunting if you’re going in without reading this comprehensive buying guide.

In this article, I’ll share with you some of the best tips for getting real alexandrite earrings. So, read this article in its entirety to get a pair of your dreams. But before we begin, let’s first understand the reasons that make alexandrite earrings ever so coveted in the present times.

The Reasons

Alexandrite's beauty is the only reason why people are crazy about alexandrite's earrings. The gemstone’s unique color-changing property makes it a preferred choice for earrings. Alexandrite changes its color from green to red when viewed in sunlight and the lamplight respectively. This unique color-changing property separates alexandrite from other precious gemstones like sapphire or ruby.

Other than the gemstone’s unique color-changing property, what else does wonders for alexandrite is its impressive hardness & durability. Now that you know the reasons behind the popularity of alexandrite earrings, let me share with you some tips regarding buying a pair of earrings. So, let’s begin.

Also Read: How to Choose the Best Alexandrite Jewelry

Set A Budget

The first and foremost thing you need to do is to set a budget. Unless you’re ready to spend all the money on a pair of alexandrite earrings, you should definitely set a budget. That’s because setting a budget will help you in many ways. For instance, your budget will narrow down the options for you, helping you choose a pair of earrings as quickly as possible. Going in with specific parameters helps, and you get what you want in a trice. Setting a budget also means allocating your funds for various aspects of your earrings properly.

Fashion The Centerstone

The next thing to do after setting a budget is a fashion the center stone of your alexandrite earrings. In order to fashion the center stone of your earrings, you need to learn about their quality and grading factors that include color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. These quality and grading factors are also known as the 4Cs. So, let’s learn about the 4Cs of alexandrite.

Color

Fine-quality alexandrites have moderately strong to strong color saturation. So, when choosing an alexandrite for your earrings, you should pick one that has moderately strong to strong color saturation. Moreover, you should choose a stone that’s neither too light nor too dark. That’s because alexandrites that are too light lack the required color intensity and alexandrites that are too dark lack brightness. Vivid color alexandrite stones exhibit clear color shifts as opposed to those stones that lack color depth.

Clarity

The gemstone tends to have few inclusions. So, if you were thinking of getting an eye-clean alexandrite gemstone for your alexandrite earrings, you might want to increase your budget.

Cut

Alexandrites are best known to rock when fashioned into mixed cuts. However, if any specific cut tickles your fancy, you should definitely opt for the same. From pear and oval to square and cushion, there are so many cuts that you can consider. Because of the color-changing property of alexandrite, the gemstone looks equally great in all the cuts. Therefore, all you need to do is to pick a cut as per your preference.

Carat Weight

The carat weight of your alexandrite center stone is a personal decision and should be based on your budget. Deciding on the carat weight of your alexandrite center stone should not be influenced by trends. Most fashioned alexandrites weigh under a carat. That’s because the price of this gemstone increases dramatically with a slight increase in its carat weight. Therefore, you should stick to your budget and choose the carat weight accordingly.

Also Read: Complete Alexandrite Engagement Ring Buying Guide

Setting

As regards the setting of your real alexandrite earrings, you can choose between the prong and bezel settings. In the prong setting, the center stone is held in its place with four or six metal claws that not only secure it but also highlight its brilliance and fire. However, if you want to choose a more secure setting, you can opt for the bezel setting. In the bezel setting, the center stone is encased in metal. Therefore, the bezel setting offers the utmost protection to the center stone.

Metal

This is also another aspect that should be chosen based on your preference. That’s because certain metal alloys can cause skin allergies. So, it’s better to choose a metal for your alexandrite earrings on the basis of your skin and skin tone.

The Bottom Line

These were the tips that’ll best guide you in buying the pair of alexandrite earrings of your dreams. Alexandrite’s beautiful color, impressive hardness, and unique color-changing property make it a perfect gemstone to be bedecked into a pair of earrings. Now that you’ve understood it all, it’s about time you put on your creative cap and started fashioning your alexandrite earrings. So, what are you waiting for?