Buying an alexandrite engagement ring might be frustrating. Since natural alexandrite is a very rare and extremely expensive stone (more than a diamond), keep in mind that jewelry industry uses lab created alexandrites mostly. There are different methods of creating synthetic stones, but

Is lab created alexandrite valuable?

Firstly: Beware of imitations - these are gemstones or other materials presented as other kinds of gems and are cheap. Another inexpensive and commonly used process is a flame fusion which makes affordable synthetic corundum material. This won’t have a remarkable colour shift or will switch it to a wrong colour.  

Secondly: pay attention to a colour play: blue-to-purple color change does occur in natural alexandrites. Can it be seen in synthetic stones? Yes! But only if they have the same optical and physical properties as their mined counterparts. These are the most valuable examples of manmade gemstones you can find.

This is how a high quality alexandrite shall switch the hue:

Pictured: Devia bridal ring set with kite alexandrite and diamonds

How to choose the best alexandrite engagement ring?

Eden Garden Jewelry uses only top-quality synthetic alexandrite made by a pulled method. Material is completely the same as the best varieties of the genuine Alexandrite - Russian, Brazilian or Rhodesian. 

At this moment you’re probably wondering:

Is the lab created alexandrite real?

If it has the same properties as natural alexandrite - yes, it is real. With just one difference: it was created in a laboratory, not mined from the Earth. How great is it? Read our article why to choose lab created gemstones for a modern engagement ring.

Pictured: Art Nouveau bridal ring set with alexandrite by Eden Garden

5 reasons to choose lab alexandrite for your ring:

1. It is high resistant and very durable (8.5 of 10 hardness by Moh’s scale)
2. It looks unique and mystical thanks to a colour changing properties: from peacock blue by day to reddish purple under incandescent or candlelight
3. Lab created alexandrite is environmentally friendly choice and perfect for ethical engagement ring
4. Wallet friendly: these are affordable even for one-of-a-kind engagement rings, while natural top-quality alexandrite is more expensive than a diamond (up to $15K / carat for smaller stones to $50K - $70K for stones bigger than a carat)
5. Lab created stones have a clean look without any inclusions which is extremely hard to get in natural alexandrite. 

Ariadne bridal ring set with lab created alexandrite and salt & pepper diamonds is one of the most loved by our customers. You can watch a true magic of gemstone's colour changing properties.

Our many years experience and customers’ feedbacks say that lab alexandrite is a great choice for a unique and timeless engagement ring.