cat's eye

Thân thiện

A jeweler examines a polished cat's eye gemstone under a bright lamp.

Definition

Noun: 1. A type of gemstone: A "cat's eye" is any of several gemstones that, when cut and polished into a rounded, cabochon shape, display a narrow, bright band of reflected light that moves across the surface. This optical effect, called chatoyancy, resembles the slit pupil of a cat's eye.

Usage

• The term is used to describe the gemstone itself, focusing on its distinctive visual property.
• It is most commonly associated with chrysoberyl cat's eye, which is often simply called "cat's eye" in gemology. Other minerals like quartz or tourmaline can also exhibit this effect.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Cat's eye effect": This phrase is used to describe the chatoyancy phenomenon itself, not just the gem.
  • The fibrous structure of the mineral is responsible for the cat's eye effect.

Variants and Related Words

• Chatoyancy (n): The technical optical phenomenon exhibited by cat's eye gems and some woods, characterized by a band of reflected light.
• Cabochon (n): A gemstone that is polished but not faceted, typically with a convex, rounded surface. This is the standard cut for displaying cat's eye effects.
• Tiger's eye (n): A related chatoyant gemstone, a form of quartz that displays a silky, golden-brown banding.

Synonyms

• Chatoyant gem: A more technical term for a gem displaying the cat's eye effect.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary and most specific meaning of "cat's eye" in this context is the gemstone. It should not be confused with other uses, such as:
  • The reflective road stud used for lane markings (a separate compound term: "cat's-eye reflector").
  • The eye of an actual cat. This explanation covers only the gemological definition.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of various gems (as chrysoberyl or chalcedony) that reflect light when cut in a rounded shape