Coined from the French meaning “eye of the cat”, cat’s eye gemstone is a stunning stone with a unique optical phenomenon, an effect caused by reflection of light by parallel fibers in the gemstone itself. In the past, cat’s eye beads has been worn to protect the wearer and to ward off disasters; modern properties of cat’s eye include self-control and discipline, said to promote concentration, aide in the ability to learn, enable its wearer to think clearly, promote tolerance and harmony and is also associated with wealth due to its golden hue. This gemstone is usually cut into a cabochon shape in order for these effects to be displayed to their full potential. Because of these stripes, this gemstone resemble the slit of a cat’s eye, and are very popular for making jewelry like earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, chokers and broaches.

Also known as chatoyancy, cat’s eye beads come in a variety of different sizes, shapes and types, including: faceted round, chips, rondelle, pear-shaped or teardrop, rectangle, round tubes, flat ovals, and many more. To create a stunning bracelet with cat’s eye beads, simply attach 15-20, 6mm round or oval beads to jeweler’s wire or a silk cord (if using wire, use a claw clasp to secure the ends and for the silk cord, merely knotting the ends will work), attach spacers if desired and then secure the ends. For a simply stunning statement necklace, attach 8 large cat’s eye beads to a 20guage, 20mm length of memory or jeweler’s wire and secure the ends with loops or lobster claw clasp. For easy drop earrings, attach 3-4 medium-sized cat’s eye beads to French hooks and you have a stunning pair of earrings perfect for any outfit.