The Alexandrite: A Natural Fact in a Mystical Light
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Abstract
Russian author Nikolai Leskov’s story “The Alexandrite” celebrates eccentricity, that curious cousin of knowledge. Alexandrite is a rare variety of the gemstone chrysoberyl known for a peculiar property: in natural light it looks green, but by artificial light it appears red. To my mind the gemstone’s identity crisis uncannily mirrors the character the story focuses on, Vencel. A highly esteemed gem cutter in Prague consulted by the narrator to repair a garnet, Vencel is also a passionately raving lunatic and/or a drunk with rotten teeth, bony fingers, and beady eyes.
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