The gemstone contains the silky-shape and tubular inclusions which are directional and dense. After being carved and polished, it will take on a clear bright band and sway along with the twirling of the gemstone, just like the real cat eye, flexible and bright. This kind of optical effect is called Cat-Eye Effect. There are more than 20 kinds of gemstones with the cat-eye effect, such as diopside, aquamarine, tourmaline, and apatite and so on. Not all the gemstones with cat-eye effect are called cat-eye stones. In the field of gemology, the chrysoberyl (BeAl2O4) with cat-eye effect is called cat-eye stone. The other gemstones with cat-eye effect must add the name of the gemstone before the word “Cat-eye”, such as dioside cat-eye stone, aquamarine cat-eye stone, tourmaline cat-eye stone, apatite cat-eye stone etc. In a word, the cat-eye stone is the chrysoberyl with cat-eye effect.
The cat-eye stone has various colors and the most precious color is the grey yellow or brown yellow, that is to say the color close to honey. Identifying the cat-eye stone by eyes is relative simple, we shine from the side of cat-eye stone with light gathering electronic torch and the colors of its two sides are different. When the light source is on the right, the right side takes on honey yellow color, the left side takes on milky white; when the light is on the left, the left takes on honey yellow and the right takes on milky white. So the brown yellow color, brownish yellow color, the flexible and bright silky band are the main basis identifying the cat-eye stone by eyes. If we need more exact verification, we must determine its refractive index and relative density. If we have the diiodomethane heavy fluid, the verification will be much more convenient. The cat-eye stone sinks in the diiodomethane while other gemstones with cat-eye effect float.
There are many colors of “cat-eye stones” in the market, such as red, blue, purple, brown yellow and so on. Among them, the brown yellow one is like the natural cat-eye stone very much. Actually, they are the “glass cat-eye stones” made of glass fiber. The divisions between artificial cat-eye stone and natural cat-eye stone are as follows: (1) Watching the two sides of artificial cat-eye stone by magnifying glass, we can see the hexagonal honeycomb texture; (2) The artificial cat-eye stone can often show 2 – 3 bright bands at the top of the cambered surface while the natural cat-eye stone has only a bright band; (3) The hardness of the artificial cat-eye stone is 5 and the knife can carve it while the natural cat-eye stone cannot; (4) The relative density of artificial cat-eye stone is small (2.64). It floats in the diiodomethane heavy fluid while the natural cat-eye stone sinks.
The places such as Sri Lanka, Russian Ural and the Minas Gerais state in Brazil and so on are the important origins of cat-eye stones in the world.
12mm White Cat Eye Stone Quartz Round Ring Style Watch
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