Natural Chrysoberyl and Alexandrite

Chrysoberyl was discovered in 1789 and described and named by Abraham Gottlob Werner, in 1790. The name ‘chrysoberyl’ comes from the Greek and means ‘gold-colored beryl’. Despite the similarity of their names, chrysoberyl and beryl are two completely different gemstones. Together with alexandrite, chrysoberyl forms an independent gemstone category. Chrysoberyl comes in colors between lemon and greenish yellow, in honey colors, and shades from mint green to brownish green. They are mostly found in the gemstone deposits of Brazil, Sri Lanka or East Africa. The best-known special effect of chrysoberyl is an eye, which is displayed when certain specimens of this gem are cut in a dome shape. Cat’s-eye chrysoberyl has a pupil-like band of light that sweeps across its dome. The “eye” is caused by fibrous inclusions that reflect the light in a sharply defined pattern. Chrysoberyl cat’s eyes are genuine rarities which are found only in a few deposits in the world, together with other varieties of chrysoberyl.