Chrysoberyl

This under-known gem has two siblings, alexandrite and cat’s-eye, that have stolen all the attention away from the lovely but less showy green, yellow, and brown transparent type of chrysoberyl. The stone occurs in Canada, Norway, Australia, Ghana, Burma, the Ural Mountains in Russia, and the other gem havens of Sri Lanka and Brazil. It appears in rare instances as a cyclic crystal that looks to be hexagonal but is a triplet of three twins called a trilling.

Cousin cat’s-eye, also called cymophane, occurs in colorations ranging from honey gold to bright green. It usually comes in a domed cabochon shape. If intense light is shone in a cat’s-eye, one side will look milky and the other will remain golden; this is known as the milk-and-honey effect. The eye effect is the result of infinitesimal needle-like inclusions that refract light, creating a line of light that runs through the center. A handful of other stones, scapolite, spinel, quartz, tourmaline, and corundum, have a similar appearance as a result of those inclusions, but only chrysoberyl can be called just cat’s-eye; the others require the stone name in front of cat’s-eye. Cat’s-eye has been used to manifest destiny and direct fortune for centuries and makes an excellent talisman.

Healers prize chrysoberyl because it can double the power of other stones and reveal the causes of illness. It can assist with lowering high cholesterol and the hormonal surges of adrenaline. Chrysoberyl is a crystal used for compassion, forgiveness, and emotional release and has been called the stone of new beginnings. This is one of the few crystals that can enable one to see both sides of an issue and get over blocks and stubbornness. If you are harboring a grudge against a coworker or loved one, chrysoberyl will cut right through the old anger and help you to move on.