Named alexandrite sales run from about $4,500 to $116,152 per carat. The top figure is a 16.53 ct Brazilian stone sold at Sotheby's New York in December 2024. Sotheby's said it set a record for any alexandrite sold at auction.
Updated November 7, 2026. We found no reliable public trade price list for alexandrite, so this page keeps to named results and to what GIA says about value.
TL;DR
GIA says fine alexandrite is green to bluish green in daylight and red to purplish red in incandescent light.
GIA says most cut stones weigh under one carat, and that larger, higher-quality gems rise in price dramatically.
Similar sizes can sell very far apart, as the table below shows.
The strength of the color change is rated on some reports, and it is worth reading.
Alexandrite Price Per Carat: Public Results
Stone and sale | Total | Per carat |
|---|---|---|
16.53 ct Brazilian, ring. Sotheby's New York, Dec. 2024 | About $1.92M | $116,152 |
About 18.44 ct Brazilian cat's-eye. Bonhams Los Angeles, Dec. 2022 | $819,375 | About $44,400 (our arithmetic) |
About 13.07 ct Sri Lankan. Bonhams Los Angeles, Nov. 2014 | $209,000 | About $16,000 (our arithmetic) |
40.52 ct, unmounted. Sotheby's New York, Dec. 2024 | $216,000 | About $5,300 (our arithmetic) |
About 8.03 ct Tanzanian, ring. Bonhams New York, Sept. 2024 | $35,840 | About $4,500 (our arithmetic) |
Bonhams totals include buyer's premium. Ring figures divide the whole lot by the stone's weight, so they include the mount and any diamonds. The Sotheby's per-carat figure is the one reported by Diamond World, and National Jeweler reported the same sale at $1.9 million.
Size alone does not explain these prices. The 40.52 ct stone sold at under a twentieth of the 16.53 ct stone's per-carat price, in the same sale (our arithmetic).
What Drives the Price of Alexandrite?
The color change comes first. GIA says fine stones are green to bluish green in daylight and red to purplish red in incandescent light.
Reports can rate it. AGL reports on the Bonhams lots above describe the degree of change: 90 to 100% with an excellent quality on the cat's-eye, 70 to 80% on the Sri Lankan stone, and 80 to 90% on the Tanzanian stone.
Origin is stated on reports too. GIA says the gem was discovered in Russia's Ural Mountains in the 1830s and is now also found in Sri Lanka, East Africa and Brazil.
For the science and history, see What Is Alexandrite?
How to Read an Alexandrite Quote
See both lights. Ask for the stone under daylight and incandescent light.
Ask for a lab report. It should confirm natural alexandrite, any treatment and, if claimed, the origin. See How to Verify a Gem Lab Report.
Compare like with like. A cat's-eye and a faceted stone are different goods.
Separate the stone from the jewel. A ring price also pays for the mount.
FAQ
How much is alexandrite worth per carat? Named sales here run from about $4,500 to $116,152 per carat. The range is too wide to use as a price for one stone.
What is the record price for alexandrite? Sotheby's said the 16.53 ct ring it sold in December 2024 set a record for any alexandrite at auction, at about $1.9 million and $116,152 per carat.
Why is alexandrite so expensive? GIA calls fine material exceptionally rare and valuable, and says most cut stones weigh under one carat.
Is alexandrite a good investment? We do not give investment advice. A few auction results do not establish a reliable return.
Useful Sources
Carat Brief is editorial and is not investment advice. Get sourced gem prices, free, every Tuesday.