Cat’s eye chrysoberyl

Photo by John Parrish

Fine goods are said to look like ‘milk and honey’

Cat’s eye, another unique variety of chrysoberyl, derives its caché from the famed “milk and honey” effect seen in the finest quality specimens, mostly sourced from Brazil. When cut en cabochon, the gems boast a rather feline-looking line made of fine silky white inclusions down their center. Against the honey-yellow of the background, this effect seems to wink at passers-by. A fine 10-carat-plus cat’s eye could fetch $75,000 at wholesale. But don’t count on being able to locate one. Large stones with distinct eyes are as rare as their gemological sibling, alexandrite.

The eyes have it This 15-carat cat’s eye chrysoberyl was cut by Jeffrey Bilgore, a New York dealer with multiple wins in the AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge competition, including first place for this stone.