Color Change Cushion Cut Lab Created Alexandrite Loose Gemstone Prestige Grade

Lab-grown alexandrite offers:

• The same color-change phenomenon as natural alexandrite

• Greater clarity and consistency

• Larger size availability

• Accessibility without geological rarity constraints

For many clients, it provides the perfect balance between rarity, performance, and responsible innovation.

Natural alexandrite from the original Russian Ural deposits is virtually gone. What remains in the ground is finite, inconsistent in quality, and commands prices that have nothing to do with the stone itself — only its origin story.

Lab-created alexandrite has identical chemical composition, crystal structure, and optical properties. The color change phenomenon is exactly the same. What differs is the origin — and with it, the ability to select and cut to a consistent, verifiable standard.

That is why who cuts it matters. Most lab-created alexandrite is mass-produced, pre-cut overseas, and sold without meaningful quality control. Pel & Co. cuts every Prestige stone in-house. The proportions are ours. The standard is ours. The result is a stone that performs the way alexandrite is supposed to perform — not the way a bargain parcel allows it to.

Most alexandrite on the market shifts color weakly — a muddled grey-green to a dull brownish-red that barely registers in different light. That is not what alexandrite is supposed to be.

A strong color change means a clean, dramatic shift — vivid blue-green in daylight, deep purplish-red under incandescent light. No muddiness. No grey. The two colors should be distinct, saturated, and unmistakable.

Color change strength is the single most important value driver in alexandrite — more than carat weight, more than cut. A 1ct stone with a strong, clean shift is worth significantly more than a 3ct stone with a weak one.

At Pel & Co., our specialists select every alexandrite specifically for color change performance. We cut in-house, which means we control the proportions that maximize the shift. Stones that don't meet our standard don't make it to the collection. That is what Prestige means.

Carat measures weight — not physical size. Because different gemstones have different densities, two stones of equal carat weight can look noticeably different in size depending on the material and how they are cut.

At Pel & Co., we provide precise millimeter dimensions for every stone. We recommend using those measurements — not carat weight — to understand how a stone will actually appear when worn or set.

Cut proportions also affect perceived size. A well-cut stone carries its weight in the face-up position where it is seen. A poorly cut stone hides weight in the depth. Our in-house cutting is designed to maximize face-up presence — which is the only dimension that matters once a stone is set.

We don't browse catalogs. We don't buy pre-cut parcels and sort through what arrives.

Pel & Co. has spent 30 years building direct relationships with the sources that supply the world's leading luxury houses. That access doesn't come from a website — it comes from three decades of knowing who cuts with integrity, who grades honestly, and who holds the same standard we do.

Every Prestige gemstone is evaluated in-house against four criteria: color quality, color change performance, clarity, and cut precision. Stones that meet three out of four don't make it. We are looking for all four.

We also cut in-house. Most jewelers receive a finished stone and set it. We start earlier — controlling the proportions that determine how a stone catches light, how the color change reads, and how it will perform in a setting for decades.

What you receive is not the best stone we could find at a price point. It is the best stone, full stop.

Yes — and this is where Pel & Co. works differently from most gemstone sellers.

When you purchase a Prestige loose stone, our team will work with you directly to design a setting built around that specific stone — its proportions, its color change axis, and how it performs in different light. The setting is made in-house in our Los Angeles workshop by the same artisans who cut the stone.

Most custom jewelers work from a catalog of standard settings. We design from the stone outward. The result is a piece that holds the stone the way it was meant to be held — and shows the color change the way it was meant to be seen.

Alexandrite sits at 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale — harder than most gemstones, including tanzanite, opal, and pearl. It is suitable for rings, pendants, earrings, and everyday wear when properly set.

The stone itself is not fragile. What determines longevity is the setting. A well-designed setting protects the stone's edges, secures it against daily contact, and allows the stone to move with the piece rather than against it. That is a craft question — which is why we design and build our settings in-house around each specific stone.