Chrysoberyl Stone

Chrysoberyl is a gray, green to yellow, or brown vitreous mineral, BeAl2O4, relatively rare and used as a gemstone. It derives its name from the Greek words for golden and crystal, respectively chrysos and berullos. An extremely hard and brilliant gemstone that is frequently found as cat's eyes, legend maintains chrysoberyl cat's eye wearers would be protected from evil spirits, illness and poverty. A rare collectible color-change variety of chrysoberyl is called Alexandrite. The Alexandrite and Cat's Eye varieties of chrysoberyl are very expensive. Chrysoberyl is a minor ore of beryllium.

Fine cat's-eye chrysoberyl often also shows the "milk and honey" effect. When a bright light source is directed at the side of the stone, one side of the eye will be milky white and the other remains gold. Cat's-eye chrysoberyl is believed to posses a powerful talisman that can direct fortunes. The chrysoberyls may also have faceted varieties with a honey-gold color. The most natural uncut crystals of chyrsoberyl are the cyclic twins called "trillings" that appear hexagonal but are the result of a triplet of three "twins," with each "twin" taking up 120 degrees of the cyclic trilling.

Chrysoberyl's deposits are found in Ural Mountains in Russia. Minas Gerais and Bahia provinces in Brazil, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and in small deposits in India, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. Fairly large deposits occur in Connecticut, Maine, New York and Colorado etc.