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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 430051, member: 5833&quot;]After reading in various Antiquers threads about the usefulness of UV light in determining the nature of some materials, when I spotted little UV flashlights for sale, I grabbed one, and have had fun shining it here and there to see the effects.&nbsp; Most things seem just to reflect it back and glow some degree of purple.&nbsp; Only a few things have been surprising.&nbsp; One is a cowrie shell, whose dull brown patches are bright magenta under the light.&nbsp; Another is the &#039;stone&#039; in this brooch.</p><p><br /></p><p>It was auctioned as green tourmaline, and is very much that color in most lighting conditions.&nbsp; I quickly realized when I received it this 800 silver brooch was more likely to be glass.&nbsp; However, unlike other examples of green glass near it in the display cabinet, this one showed an unexpected side of itself when the flashlight played its way:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]150583[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]150584[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This color shift is closer to that of genuine alexandrite than I have ever seen in any other color change material, glass or stone.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://store.palagems.com/Images/Bancroft_Russia_Alexandrite/alexandrite_1.29ct.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Anyone have any insight into this glass, what the additive may be?&nbsp; It is much richer in color than neodymium glass.&nbsp; Vanadium is the mystery ingredient in color change sapphires.&nbsp; The 800 silver suggests a European origin for the brooch.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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