Cat’s eye is one of the precious gemstones that is associated with Ketu. Wearing a cat’s eye removes negativity, brings financial growth, improves psychic abilities, and improves focus and clarity. But there are many types of cat’s eye. The better the quality of the gemstone, the better its effect.
Types of Cat’s Eye
Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye: Chrysoberyl is one of the most demanded and highly prized types of cat’s eye. Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye is a striking gemstone known for its chatoyancy—a glowing, moving line resembling a cat’s eye. Usually found in yellow, greenish, or brownish tones, it’s cut in a smooth cabochon to highlight its silky luster and sharp, centered eye, making it visually unique and captivating.
Quartz Cat’s Eye: Quartz comes in various colors, including grey, green, and yellow. Quartz Cat’s Eye is a captivating gemstone known for its chatoyancy—a luminous band that moves like a cat’s eye when light hits the surface. Typically found in shades of grey, green, yellow, or brown, it’s cut in a cabochon shape to enhance its silky sheen and eye-like appearance.
Apatite Cat’s Eye: Apatite Cat’s Eye is a rare and attractive gemstone and types of cat’s eye that displays chatoyancy—a glowing line that moves across the surface, resembling a cat’s eye. It comes in vibrant shades like green, blue, and yellow. Cut in a smooth cabochon, it highlights a silky luster and a sharp, centered eye effect.
Tourmaline Cat’s Eye: Tourmaline Cat’s Eye is a unique variety of tourmaline and a unique types of cat’s eye that exhibits chatoyancy—a bright, moving line like a cat’s eye across the surface. Found in colors like green, pink, brown, and black, it is typically cut into cabochons to enhance its silky luster and sharp, centered eye effect.
Moonstone Cat’s Eye: Moonstone Cat’s Eye is a mystical types of cat’s eye gemstone renowned for its glowing chatoyancy, where a bright line glides across the surface, much like a cat’s eye. Usually seen in shades of white, grey, or peach, it features a smooth cabochon cut that enhances its soft, silky sheen and creates a magical visual effect.
Beryl Cat’s Eye: Beryl Cat’s Eye is a rare and elegant gemstone and types of cat’s eye that shows a sharp chatoyancy, resembling a cat’s eye moving across the surface. Found in colors like green, yellow, and bluish tones, it is cut into a cabochon to enhance its silky luster and distinct, centered eye-like light band.
Physical Properties:
Hardness: The hardness of cat’s eye gemstones depends on the mineral type. Chrysoberyl cat’s eye is the hardest, with a Mohs rating of 8.5, making it ideal for all types of jewelry. Quartz cat’s eye is moderately hard, with a hardness of 7, while apatite cat’s eye is much softer, with a hardness of 5.
Specific Gravity: The specific gravity of cat’s eye gemstones differs based on the type. Chrysoberyl cat’s eye has a higher specific gravity of 3.73 to 3.75, whereas quartz cat’s eye is lighter, with a specific gravity of around 2.65.
Refractive Index: The refractive index of cat’s eye gemstones influences their brilliance and the sharpness of the chatoyancy effect. Chrysoberyl cat’s eye has a higher refractive index of 1.746 to 1.755, giving it greater sparkle, while quartz cat’s eye has a lower refractive index of 1.544 to 1.553.
Chatoyancy: The quality of the cat’s eye effect is determined by how well the fibrous inclusions are aligned and how densely they are packed. A high-quality cat’s eye gemstone displays a sharp, distinct band of light that glides smoothly across the surface when the stone is moved.
Origin of Cat’s Eye:
A Cat’s Eye stone receives its quality marks from the location where it originates. Gemstones meeting premium standards mostly originate from Sri Lanka, India, and Brazil. Sri Lankan vaidooryam stone prices gain great value because they showcase both high transparency and recognizable silky sheen.
