Cat's eye is a popular gemstone with an iridescent effect. After polishing in the form of a cabochon, a streak of light is visible on its surface, similar to an elongated cat's pupil. The optical effect arises from the presence of fine-fibrous actinolite and asbestos inclusions, as well as microscopic cavities inside the stone. If the stone is turned, its color changes - it becomes slightly lighter or darker.

Light overflows are observed in many gems - beryls, rubies, sapphires, tourmalines, chrysoberyls. Such stones are very expensive and not common. But quartz, obsidian, opal or jade cat's eye is much more common.



The best samples are mined in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil, Germany, Russia, India, Mexico, and the USA. In Sri Lanka, such stones are found in placers of precious stones in the form of pebbles the size of a walnut. The largest chrysoberyl cat's eye weighing 475 carats was found in Sri Lanka.




The history of the mysterious stone goes back to antiquity. They say that they knew about this stone even before the Flood, and they supposedly treated it with caution and even distrust. Centuries have passed and now it is considered one of the first amulet stones.

And here ancient Egyptianson the contrary, they greatly appreciated this stone, because it looked like a cat's eye, and they revered cats very much. Archaeological excavations confirm the Egyptians' favor for this stone. They were used to decorate musical instruments, rings, and there were finds among the treasures in tombs. And even since those ancient times, a legend has been passed that the stone, sensing danger, warned its owner by flashing an iridescent strip of light.

Later, less attention was paid to this stone. Popularity returned to him when, in the second half of the 19th century, the Prince of Great Britain, Duke Arthur of Connaught (third son of Queen Victoria) presented a ring with cymophane to his bride, Louise Margaret of Prussia. At the beginning of the 20th century, the price of cat's-eye jewelry increased significantly.

Cymophane properties

Cymofan belongs to the rarest variety of chrysoberyl.
Cymofan is characterized by the formula - BeAl2O4.
The color depends on impurities. Sometimes beryllium is partially replaced by ferrous oxide, or aluminum - by chromium.

Tsimofan is an expensive and rare stone. A stone weighing 1 carat can cost 15,000 rubles and more. The most common colors for a cat's eye are with the presence of yellow or green, as well as yellow-green in varying degrees of intensity of these colors. There are gray, brown, yellow-brown, these stones are not expensive. The most valuable are considered to be a honey shade with a bright white (milky) stripe and a stone with an alexandrite effect, that is, with a changing color.




Lithotherapists affirm the positive effect of the stone on health, and they believe that the effect does not depend on the mineral in which the optical effect occurs, be it chrysoberyl or quartz, but to some extent depends on the color. In the latter case, certain medicinal properties of the stone may differ from each other.

Lithotherapists say that "cat's eye" is a good means for digestion, for the treatment of various diseases of the respiratory system.

And there is also a rosary made of cymophane.In the East, they say that if the rosary is made of a cat's eye, then touching them, you can relieve stress and even recover from some mental illnesses.

But here I would like to add that the main purpose of the rosary is to measure the number of prayers that you intend to read, while keeping your attention. Rosary beads are found in almost all religions.



A man with a rosary always draws attention to himself and emphasizes his individuality, and a rosary made of an expensive stone will even more draw attention to the owner. Just know, Orthodox rosary beads are different from the rosary of all other religions, as well as all the other rosary from each other. Therefore, choose them with the knowledge of your religious traditions.

Rosary beads are becoming a fashionable accessory of the present time, but a believer uses them for their main purpose - for prayer and with the blessing of a priest. But there are those among us who use the rosary for aesthetic purposes or to gain confidence, as well as to satisfy their vanity, holding in their hands a beautiful work of nature and art that will draw the attention of others to you.

A rosary from beads "cat's eye" can be a wonderful gift, just consider all of the above.

Talismans and amulets are made of cymophane. However, everyone who is interested in magical properties should only add that if you want, according to experts in magic, to attract love, confidence, courage and charm, creative inspiration and eloquence with the help of a stone, to save yourself from evil forces, start work on yourself physically and spiritually.




Cymofan is processed in the form of cabochons for beads, cufflinks, necklaces, pendants. Earrings with "cat's eye" are incredibly beautiful.

The cat's eyes with the brightest optical effect are considered jewelry, and among the most valuable minerals are beryl, chrysoberyl, ruby, sapphire, tourmaline. But they are rare, and therefore very expensive.

Most often, you will see a quartz cat's eye with grayish-green tints. But recently, in jewelry production, there are obsidian, opal, topaz, diopside, jade and other minerals with the effect of a cat's eye. The silky texture and lustrous line that resembles the eye of a cat, Cymophane makes it a desirable gem in jewelry making.

As already mentioned, cymophane is chrysoberyl with an optical effect, and chrysoberyl refers to expensive stones. Its cost is equal to that of a diamond of the same size. Therefore, there are also fakes on sale. How to distinguish a natural stone from a fake? You just need to know that chrysoberyl is a fairly hard stone - 85 units on the Mohs scale, so it can leave a scratch on the glass.

And one more possibility of verification - if a natural stone is placed in a dark room, it will glow like a cat's eye, this will not happen with a fake. In natural light, the fake looks brighter and more beautiful than the mineral itself.



Many jewelry is created from artificial cat's eye, as its production is quite simple. The molten glass is poured into a mold with fibers having a specific color shade. When the glass hardens and the fibers burn out due to the increased temperature, a noticeable strip will appear in the glass at this place, which will give the product a similarity to a natural mineral. Cat's eye is made from synthetic barium titanate and fibrous borosilicate glass.

Tsimofan or "cat's eye" is a beautiful gemstone, wear and admire it with pleasure.