Collection: Cat's eye

"Cat's eye" does not refer to a stone but to an effect: chatoyancy. A thin band of light crosses the surface of the stone and moves as you turn it, like a cat's pupil. The effect comes from microscopic parallel fibres or needles inside the stone, which reflect the light in a single line. It only appears on a stone cut as a cabochon or a bead.

Which stones show a cat's eye?

The most sought after is cat's eye chrysoberyl, or cymophane: honey yellow to green, hard (8.5 on the Mohs scale) and precious. When people say "cat's eye" without further detail, this is the one. There is also quartz cat's eye, more common, and chatoyant tourmalines, apatites or moonstones. Tiger's eye, finally, is a cousin: its chatoyancy covers the whole surface instead of concentrating in a line.

Beware of coloured beads

The very bright pink, blue or green "cat's eye" beads sold everywhere as bracelets are usually factory-made fibre-optic glass. They are pretty, but they are not stones, and the law requires this to be stated. The "Indian cat's eye" bracelets in this collection are not of this type: their beads are natural stones in green, honey and brown shades, all different, with a subtle cat's eye effect.

Cat's eye in crystal healing

Like tiger's eye, it is traditionally associated with protection and vigilance: it is credited with helping you "see clearly" in a situation. Cat's eye chrysoberyl holds a special place in Indian tradition, where it is one of the nine planetary stones of the navaratna.

The properties attributed to cat's eye belong to crystal healing traditions. They are no substitute for a diagnosis or medical treatment.