What is the difference between cats eye and alexandrite?
Cat’s eye is the popular name for an optical effect known as chatoyancy in the gemological nomenclature. Microscopic needle-like inclusions inside the stone reflect a streak of light that appears to open and close as the stone is rotated — hence the eye like effect. The effect becomes most apparent under a spotlight or in direct sunlight. Although other minerals including tourmaline, beryl, scapolite, sillimanite and quartz may also display the cat’s eye effect, these stones are referred to as tourmaline cat’s eyes or quartz cat’s eyes etc., and only chrysoberyl is referred to as “cat’s eye” with no other designation. The finest quality cat’s-eyes display a sharp silvery white line across the stone that opens and closes as the stone is rotated. “Milk and honey” is a term commonly used to describe the color of the best cat’s eyes. The effect refers to the sharp milky ray of white light normally crossing the cabochon as a center line along its length and overlying the honey colored back
