Alexandrite + the Legends of Hermes

Raw alexandrite crystal. Photo by Parent Géry, licensed as CC 1.0, public domain.   As a relatively new gemstone, alexandrite has yet to acquire a substantial body of legends surrounding it. However, given its distinctive color-change property, in particular its vivid green hues, writers and poets have attached it to the planet Mercury. As such, alexandrite now represents the Greek god Hermes (Roman equivalent, Mercury).  

Hermes the Thief

His father Zeus leads the pantheon of ancient Greek gods, with his lightning bolts and stern but fair approach to leadership. His mother, the nymph Maia, is a goddess of clouds and one of the seven daughters (the Pleiades) of Atlas. Born in Arcadia, near Mount Cyllene, Hermes demonstrated his puckishness right from the beginning. No more than five minutes after taking his first breath, the young god craftily stole a herd of cattle from his brother, Apollo. To cover their tracks and throw Apollo off his trail, he herded the cattle backward. Of course, when the sun god confronted his brother, Hermes denied any treachery. Eventually, Hermes' conscience tugged at him to confess. To make amends, he offered Apollo the lyre he recently invented. He conceived of the instrument one day when he happened upon a tortoise.  Hermes removed the shell from the animal and made holes along each of the opposing edges. In honor of the Nine Muses, he strung nine cords of linen (some say cow intestine) across the holes. The beautiful music Hermes made with the lyre soothed the smoldering anger within Apollo's heart. Accepting his brother's offering, he returned the gesture. He gave Hermes the caduceus (Herald's Staff). Today we recognize the caduceus in the symbol of medicine - the staff entwined with two serpents.  

Hermes the Winged Messenger

In addition to his wily ways and his inventiveness, Hermes enjoys the title of fastest god in the pantheon. For both his swiftness and his eloquence, Zeus appointed him messenger of the gods. His father routinely employed him to carry important messages to other gods and creatures of the earth. For this reason, Hermes, with his winged cap and footwear, shows up in many of the Greek myths. For example, he delivered Zeus's message to the nymph Calypso to release Odysseus. Though he started out in life as a thief, he often used trickery to accomplish the will of Zeus or to help the humans. His crafty skills empowered him to retrieve things that no one else could retrieve. He also used these skills to guide men and women to safety. Therefore, his cunning ways engendered favor with the gods and with the humans and other creatures he helped. He provided guidance and protection for Pandora, Perseus, and Priam, as well as for Athena, Aprhodite, and Hera. In fact, Hermes safely guided Persephone out of the underworld and back to her mother. For this reason, Hermes becamea guide for souls on their journey to the underworld. Not surprisingly, his swiftness associated him with the fastest-moving planet, Mercury. It is this connection to Mercury which associates him to alexandrite.  

Alexandrite, the Mercury Stone

Vivid green by day, rich deep red by night, alexandrite represents both the planet Mercury (green) and the planet Mars (red). Not only does its color represent the planet Mercury, but its shifting ways also mirror the shifty craftiness of Mercury. Similar to Hermes' role in Greek mythology, the planet Mercury plays the trickster in Vedic mythology, as well. No wonder alexandrite, the Mercury stone, came to represent the trickster Hermes. ~Angela Magnotti Andrews