The facts
What cat's Eye Aquamarine actually is
Cat's Eye Aquamarine is classified as beryl, with the composition Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈. It crystallises in the hexagonal system.
Colour comes from fe²⁺ gives the blue; the eye comes from parallel hollow growth tubes running along the c-axis, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.577–1.583. Specific gravity around 2.68–2.72. Cleavage: imperfect basal. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where cat's Eye Aquamarine comes from
Cat's Eye Aquamarine is produced at Minas Gerais, Brazil, Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How cat's Eye Aquamarine is treated
The same tubes that make the eye also make the stone look hazy, so this material is not usually heated — ordinary transparent aquamarine is heated routinely to remove yellow. Rarely, the tubes are resin-filled to improve transparency, which defeats the purpose.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What cat's Eye Aquamarine is confused with
In the trade cat's Eye Aquamarine is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Cat's eye chrysoberyl, Cat's eye quartz, Cat's eye tourmaline or Glass fibre imitations.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.577–1.583 and specific gravity 2.68–2.72 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What cat's Eye Aquamarine is used for
Demand for cat's Eye Aquamarine comes from jewellery and mineral collecting, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat or by the specimen.
Durability and care
Cat's Eye Aquamarine is 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, with imperfect basal cleavage.
Hardness is not the whole story. Perfect cleavage means the stone can split cleanly if struck along the wrong plane, whatever its Mohs number, so a protective setting matters more here than the hardness suggests.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What cat's Eye Aquamarine costs
As a guide, cat's Eye Aquamarine trades around 30–300 USD/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is cat's Eye Aquamarine treated, and how?
The same tubes that make the eye also make the stone look hazy, so this material is not usually heated — ordinary transparent aquamarine is heated routinely to remove yellow. Rarely, the tubes are resin-filled to improve transparency, which defeats the purpose.
Where does cat's Eye Aquamarine come from?
Minas Gerais, Brazil, Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is cat's Eye Aquamarine hard enough to wear every day?
With care. It is 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, which is hard enough, but imperfect basal cleavage means it can split if struck at the wrong angle. Use a protective setting and avoid ultrasonic cleaning.
How much does cat's Eye Aquamarine cost?
Indicatively 30–300 USD/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is cat's Eye Aquamarine confused with?
Most often Cat's eye chrysoberyl, Cat's eye quartz, Cat's eye tourmaline and Glass fibre imitations. A refractive index of 1.577–1.583 and a specific gravity near 2.68–2.72 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for cat's eye aquamarine?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about cat's eye aquamarine