Alexandrite belongs to the Chrysoberyl family of minerals and is the more traditional choice for the June birthstone. Alexandrite was first discovered in the year 1830 in Russia. Alexandrite is a rare highly sought after mineral and many people choose to use alternate gems as their birthstone, such as pearls. Green Alexandrite will turn from green to red if exposed to candle light and is an interesting phenomenon which easily separates it from other green gemstones.