This sensuous and exciting vintage ring- for a lucky lady or stylish gent- features a rare cat’s eye Chrysoberyl that weighs over 8cts! The 18k yellow gold unisex ring is carved in the Edwardian British gypsy-ring style, though it is complete with Hong Kong hallmarks from the first part of the last century. The Chrysoberyl is a warm golden brown hue, with khaki undertones, which is much prettier than the photos can show. The gem is set with small gold prongs which securely hold it such that it can be worn on a regular basis without worry. This is a sizable ring, with the cat’s eye measuring 12mm round- and would make a fabulous gent’s ring.

Details: vintage 18k gents ring set with 12mm round Cat’s Eye Chrysoberyl (8ct minimum, natural gemstone, moderately included), Hong Kong c.1920s.

A bit about cat’s eye: cat’s eye Chrysoberyl is the only gem that can be referred to by the name “cat’s eye” alone. Also known as Cymophane, these cat’s eye gemstones display chatoyancy when tube like inclusions run parallel to each other inside the gem, then when light hits these inclusions, the light forms an iridescent eye perpendicular to those inclusions. This eye moves with the light, and opens and closes with the intensity of the light. Due to the nature of this “eye,” southern Asian communities believed that cat’s eye gemstones were the literal seeing-eyes of god. Thus they would be worn for protection or to represent the heavens, even by later Europeans who imported the gems for use in betrothal jewelry. Today, cat’s eye Chrysoberyl is still mined primarily in Sri Lanka, its ancestral home, and is prized for it’s rarity, durability (8.5 on the Mohs scale), and it’s spiritual significance.