Cat's-eye Diaspore from Turkey
This chatoyant 4.60 ct diaspore from Turkey displays a sharp ‘eye’. Photo by Bilal Mahmood.
Diaspore of the quality to be cut into gems has been on the market since the 1980s, but chatoyant specimens have been few and far between. Some were loaned to AGL for examination. At times, diaspore has a color-change effect similar to stones like alexandrite. This stone showed a slight change from grayish yellow green (in daylight) to pale brown (in incandescent light).
The article detailing the research was published in the Journal of Gemmology, Vol 35, No 2, 2016. pp 97-98.
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