Phenomenally Phenomenal Gems

By Gerald D. Sisk, Jr.

Co-founder
Jewelry Television™

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "phenomenal

gems"? If you consider the dictionary definition of phenomenal,
you may get the impression that they are really great stones,
quite exceptional by gem standards. In one respect you would be
correct. However, in gemological circles, the term "phenomenal"
holds a very special meaning, in that minerals or gemstones clas-
sified this way exhibit special optical characteristics--or phenom-
ena.

What do I mean by special optical characteristics? To answer that question I will

ask another: Have you ever seen a star ruby? The highly prized star effect, which
gemologists refer to as asterism, is an optical characteristic or phenomenon.

A star may have four, six, or 12 legs (rays) radiating outward from a central point.
They will also follow the light source as it travels over the surface of the stone. To
fully exhibit this effect, gemstones or minerals need to be
fashioned in a special way.

All materials that exhibit asterism are cut en cabochon, a

style that has a dome-like appearance on top. While many
minerals and gemstones exhibit stars, some are extremely
rare and highly prized by collectors and jewelry designers.

There are also other types of phenomena. Some gemstones

may exhibit an optical effect called chatoyancy. A chatoyant gemstone, if properly
fashioned, will display a line of varying thickness that will literally glide over the
surface of the host material as it follows the light source. To fully appreciate cha-
toyancy, materials need to be fashioned in the same way that stars are--en cabo-
chon.

The word chatoyant is derived from a French phrase that literally translates as “eye
of a cat.” Large or small, feral or domesticated, all cats have one trait in common--
a characteristic slit that runs through the center of the eye; hence the more well-
known term cat’s eye.

It should be noted that the term cat’s eye always refers to the mineral chrysoberyl.
Any other mineral or gemstone exhibiting this effect must be designated, such as
tourmaline cat’s eye or quartz cat’s eye.

How do stars and cat’s eyes occur? They are due to a special arrangement of inclu-
sions. As incoming light strikes the surface of the host material, it comes into con-
tact with and reflects off of a series of fine fibers or needles. To create the effect,
the needles need to be arranged parallel to one another. In the case of stars, the lay-
ers of parallel needles or fibers are arranged at definite angles throughout the mate-
rial. Both stars and cat’s eyes are evaluated by the strength and sharpness of the ef-
fect.

There are two more unusual characteristics that may be

observed in some cat’s eye materials. The first is known
as the milk-and-honey effect. This is most commonly
seen in chrysoberyl. When a light source is directed
through the side of a stone, one half appears milky or
creamy while the other half remains clear and unaf-
fected. Reverse sides, and the effect remains the same,
only the clear side is now milky and the milky side is
clear.

The second effect that may be observed in chatoyant materials is an opening-and-

closing effect. As a light source is directed through the side of the stone and the
stone is rotated 45 degrees, the cat’s eye will appear to open. As the stone is rotated
another 45 degrees, the eye closes and a straight line reappears.

Another very important phenomenon is color change. You may occasionally hear
the more technical term photochroism (photo = light and chroism = color) used to
describe the effect. The most famous color-change gemstone is alexandrite, a
member of the chrysoberyl species. When exposed to daylight and then incandes-
cent light, it will change colors. The most highly prized material changes from a
bluish green to a reddish color. The more intense the change, the more valuable the
material becomes.

Color change, while highly prized by col-

lectors, is not present in many mineral spe-
cies. In some cases, such as tourmaline, the
phenomenon is extremely rare. While alex-
andrite and some of the more exotic color-
change minerals can be quite costly, there
are less expensive alternatives, such as
color-change garnet or sapphire.

You might wonder where phenomenal gems and minerals fit into the overall
scheme of the classification system. To identify minerals more clearly, the first ma-
jor category is a group. A group consists of a broad series of similar species. Spe-
cies are subsequently divided into subcategories called varieties, which are further
defined by either color or phenomenon. An example would be ruby (color) and star
ruby (phenomenon), both of which are varieties of the mineral species corundum.
Mineralogists acknowledge many more groups than gemologists.

Phenomenal gems and minerals, while not as well known to the general public, are
an exciting and exotic creation of nature. Most collectors that I have met would
consider their collection deficient if they did not include at least a few stars, cat’s
eyes and color-change stones. I have even met a couple of collectors who go to ex-
tremes and seek out only phenomenal gems and minerals.

Whether you are a new collector or old, designer or jewelry aficionado, be sure to
take advantage of Mother Nature’s most amazing creations. They are truly phe-
nomenally phenomenal gems.