cat's-eye, gemstone that displays a thin band of reflected light on its surface when cut as a cabochon. Its name is derived from its supposed resemblance to the eye of a cat. The optical effect, known as chatoyancy, is caused by the reflection of light from very thin, closely spaced filaments in parallel arrangement within the stone. True cat's-eye, a variety of chrysoberyl chrysoberyl [Gr.,=golden beryl], a beryllium aluminate used as a gem. It has a vitreous luster and is transparent to translucent. The more valuable cat's-eye is a variety of chrysoberyl. Another variety, alexandrite, was first discovered in the Ural Mts.
..... Click the link for more information. from Sri Lanka and Brazil, is the most valuable, but some quartz, tourmaline, and a few other minerals that display chatoyancy are also used as gems. A golden-yellow species called tiger's-eye is a form of quartz that contains crocidolite asbestos.

cat's-eye

Chrysoberyl cat's-eye with yellow banding on a brown stone

(credit: John H. Gerard)

Any of several gemstones that display a luminous band reminiscent of the eye of a cat. Grayish green or greenish quartz cat's-eye is the most common type; although it comes from the Orient, it is often called occidental cat's-eye to differentiate it from the rarer, and more valuable, precious or oriental cat's-eye, which is a greenish variety of chrysoberyl. Crocidolite cat's-eye (African cat's-eye) is more commonly known as tigereye. Corundum cat's-eye is an imperfect star sapphire or ruby in which the star is reduced to a luminous zone.

Mentioned in	?		References in periodicals archive	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	The coloured cat's-eyes will switch off when lights are green but flash twice every second on amber until they turn to red. Cat's-eye thinks it's a red light by The Mirror (London, England)	casuistry Casus Belli Casus Foederis Caswell County Caswell Memorial State Park cat Cat 1 Cat 2 Cat 3 Cat 5 cat back cat bear cat block cat cracker Cat Island Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge cat ladder cat my new instructions CAT scan CAT scanner cat scratch disease Cat Snakes cat's eye cat's paw cat's-eye cat's-eyes cat, Dick Whittington's cat-and-mouse engine Cat1 Cat2 cata-condensed polycyclic catabasion catabasis catabiosis Catabolism catabolite catabolite repression catachosis Catachresis Cataclasis cataclasite cataclastic metamorphism cataclastic rock cataclastic structure cataclysm cataclysmic variable catacomb Catacomb Culture Catacombs Catacombs of St. Calixtus catacumba	Cat's eye marble Cat's eyes Cat's eyes cat's feet cat's foot cat's foots Cat's meow Cat's meow Cat's meow Cat's pajamas Cat's pajamas Cat's pajamas Cat's paw Cat's paw cat's paws cat's pyjamas cat's pyjamas cat's pyjamas cat's tail cat's tail Cat's whisker Cat's whisker cat's whiskers cat's whiskers cat's whiskers cat's-claw cat's-ear cat's-ear cat's-eye cat's-eye cat's-eyes Cat's-foot cat's-paw cat's-paw cat's-paws cat's-tail Cat's-whisker detector Cat's-whisker detector cat(a)- cat, Dick Whittington's cat- cat- Cat-5 cat-and-dog cat-and-mouse cat-and-mouse cat-and-mouse cat-and-mouse engine Cat-back Cat-Back Exhaust cat-bite abscess cat-bite abscess cat-bite abscess Cat-Bite Disease cat-bite fever Cat-brier Cat-brier Cat-burglar Cat-burglar Cat-burglar Cat-burglar

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

The coloured cat's-eyes will switch off when lights are green but flash twice every second on amber until they turn to red.

Cat's-eye thinks it's a red light by The Mirror (London, England)

cat's-eye (redirected from cat's-eyes)

cat's-eye

cat's-eye
(redirected from cat's-eyes)