Cat’s eye is a precious gem stone famous for bringing good luck and prosperity. The best quality cat’s eye is identified by its emerging and vanishing silver white line when it is rotated. Cat’s eye of chrysoberyl family which changes colour is called Alexandrite Cat’s Eye.
The most important feature of alexandrite cat’s eye is its green to blue green colour in day light which changes to red to purplish red in incandescent light. The finer the colour changing property of alexandrite specimen, the higher is its price. The specimens above 5 carats are very rare and highly precious.
The first chrysoberyl to exhibit colour changing properties was named “Alexandrite” after the name of Tsar Alexander II Russia. It was discovered in 1800 Ural Mountains of Russia. Alexandrite has three different hues green, red or yellow-orange depending upon the direction from which it is observed. The change in colour occurs when chromium substitutes aluminum in mineral’s atomic structure.
After its discovery in Russia, it was later mined out as deposits from Myanmar, Tanzania, Brazil, China, United States and Sri Lanka.
Natural alexandrite is very rare and hence too costly to afford. To make it affordable, several gem labs are now producing artificial alexandrite as flux grown alexandrite, Czochralski alexandrite and hydrothermally produced alexandrite. Flux grown gem is very difficult to distinguish from natural alexandrite due to presence of natural inclusion.
The mineral is an aluminate of berrylium with chemical formula BeAl2O4.[4][5]. It is third hardest rarely found natural gemstone.It is from dipyramidal crystal class and its crystal system is orthorhombic.
The specific gravity of alexandrite is 3.5-3.84. Its Mohs scale hardness is 8.5.
The rarest colour changing phenomenon gives the gem a lot of reasons to be the first choice of gem lovers. The way it shows beautiful colour transformations, it is believed to generate positivity. It is also used to remove any evil spirit and negative energy from the life of wearer. It is widely accepted as the emitter of healing vibrations, motivational energy and retainer of self confidence. Curved growth lines indicate that the gem is synthetic.
To check the originality of gem one must rub it on a cloth. If its brilliance increases on rubbing then it is original.
As per astrology, people with their prominent planets in the nakshatras ruled by Ketu ie Ashwani, Mool or Magha and those with ruling number of Ketu ie 7,16 25 can bear Alexandrite. It has been added into natural birth star list of people born in June as well.
If someone wants to wear something unique, classy and bringer of good luck as a piece of jewellery, alexandrite is the best option.