Chrysoberyl buyer’s guide

Do not collapse the names

A yellow chrysoberyl is not an alexandrite that failed to change color. A cat’s eye is a cabochon with a sharp ray, not a faceted yellow stone. Our catalog keeps those as separate doors because the price and the thing you are judging are different.

Ceylon is an important source for fine cat’s eye. Origin on a listing still has to belong to that item.

What “sharp” means

On a cat’s eye, look for one ray, centered, that opens and closes as the stone turns. A broad smear is a weaker eye. Body color is usually honey, yellow, or greenish. Milkiness under the ray is part of the effect. It is not the same flaw as a cloudy faceted stone.

Other minerals can show an eye. If the species is quartz or tourmaline, the listing should say so. “Cat’s eye” alone is not a species.

Questions

Is chrysoberyl the same as beryl?

No. The names look alike. Beryl is emerald and aquamarine. Chrysoberyl is a different mineral and is harder.

Is every chrysoberyl a cat’s eye?

No. Faceted yellow, green, and brown stones are common. The eye needs fine needles and a cabochon cut.