Cat’s Eye Oval Sterling Silver Ring

Popularly known as “cat’s eye,” cymophane is a variety of chrysoberyl that exhibits chatoyancy: a silky band of light extending across the surface of the stone that looks like a cat’s pupil, caused by microscopic inclusions of rutile. This effect also appears in other gemstones, but it is so pronounced in chrysoberyls that chatoyant chrysoberyls are often simply called “cat’s eyes.” Despite the similarity of their names, chrysoberyl and beryl are two completely different gemstones, although they both contain beryllium, aluminium and oxygen. Chrysoberyl is the third-hardest natural gemstone, 8.5 on the Mohs scale, and its color  due to the presence of iron oxide impurities.