Unlinke ideal and superideal diamonds, cat’s-eye chrysoberyl is one of the world’s few precious stones that can be described as a man’s gem. Far more men than woman buy this stone, usually for rings but sometimes cuff links and tie tacks as well.
Why men prefer cat’s-eye is a mystery. But it is certainly a favorite stone among gem dealers.
Cat’s-eye chrysoberyl is classified as a phenomenon stone because its beauty and value depend on a unique gemological effect called “chatoyancy.” Simply defined, chatoyancy is the name given to the shimmering light reflections from densely packed rutile fibers inside the stone.
When chatoyant gems are cut into cabochon form, the light is concentrated into a sharp slit running along the dome that is said to resemble the iris of a cat’s eye. Although several gems display cat’s eyes, chrysoberyl is the most highly prized of them. When shopping for a cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, look for an ‘eye’ that is centered, sharp and straight. It shouldn’t be wavy, wobbly, broken, off-center or too thin. And it should run from edge to edge of the stone. One last thing, there should be no bleed-in of color from the surrounding stone.
Body color is also important when choosing a cat’s-eye chrysoberyl. While stones range in color honey-brown to apple-green, the amber colors are more popular with men and the greener colors with women, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule.
Take translucency into consideration also. Stones that are too opaque or too transparent lack the vibrancy and mystery of stones with just the right amount of translucency.
The best-cut cat’s-eye chrysoberyls show a “milk-and-honey” effect when light is shone on one side and the stone rotated. The stone will divide into perfect blinking halves of light and dark. It is really quite spectacular.
Cat’s-eye chrysoberyl is very rare and only two countries—Brazil and Sri Lanka—currently produce it.
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