Selling Chrysoberyl

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Ten Things You Need to Know About Selling Chrysoberyl

One of the hardest gemstones on earth, chrysoberyl can reach very high values. Excellent examples of chrysoberyl have recently sold for tens of thousands of dollars, with alexandrite chrysoberyl sometimes fetching upwards of $100,000. If you are selling chrysoberyl, you need to do all you can to make sure you are getting what it's worth.


At Worthy, we help consumers sell their diamond jewelry for the highest possible price. What we’ve learned about selling diamonds can help you when you are selling chrysoberyl too. Here are ten things you need to know about selling chrysoberyl for the highest possible price.


1. Chrysoberyl is a Rare Group of Gemstones

Chrysoberyl is a rare, exotic group of gemstones including Alexandrite, which is a color changing stone first discovered in Russia. The stone commonly marketed as chrysoberyl is a light golden to light golden-green colored gem, although some of the rarest chrysoberyl gemstones are bluish-green or even colorless. Some chrysoberyl examples exhibit brown to red hues, however these are quite rare. 

Some types of Chrysoberyl, particularly cat’s eye types, have been prized as gemstones for thousands of years, while others, such as alexandrite, have shorter histories. As a group, these rare, exotic gems were named by a renowned geologist, Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789. The name Chrysoberyl is derived from two Greek words, “Chryso,” meaning “golden,” and “Beryl,” meaning “green.”

2. There are Several Different Sources for Chrysoberyl

As a group, these amazing gemstones are mined in Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Tanzania, Pakistan, Brazil, and the United States.

3. Antique Engagement Rings Were Made With Chrysoberyl

During the 19th century, various forms of chrysoberyl were often used in betrothal rings, which were the precursors to today’s engagement rings; these rings were popular with royalty for a time, and the gems themselves have been consistently popular.

4. Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye is Highly Prized

Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye is one of the more interesting gemstones out there. These are exceptionally rare stones that are only found in very specific parts of the world. When you sell Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye stones, it is important to understand exactly how desirable these are to collectors and gemstone buyers. 

As you might have already guessed, these unique gemstones have the ability to wink at you – a remarkable property that is made possible by a strip of bright light that flickers over a golden background. When you move the stone, the cat’s eye effect comes into play. It should be pointed out that other gemstones can also display the self-same feature. The name of the stone is a direct derivation of ‘gold-colored beryl’. 

The reason why this stone is able to flicker in such a way is attributed to the deposits within the stone, the inclusions. Since light reflects off them in such a way, only a bright strip will be visible at right angles to the inclusions within the stone. The effect thereof is not dissimilar to the eye of a cat. When the stone is turned from side to side, that fine strip of light appears to follow the curvature of the stone as it glides across the surface. When you have a really good Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye gemstone in hand, the cat’s eye phenomenon appears to blink as you are staring at it.

5. Cabochon is Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye's Preferred Cut

This high-value gemstone is typically polished into cabochon, thereby reflecting that narrow strip of bright light across the stone’s surface. The technical term for this visual display is known as chatoyancy. Once you make the decision to sell Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye, it is not necessary to denote the term Chrysoberyl since the default descriptor for this gemstone is Cat’s Eye.  

6. Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye is Available in a Wide Variety of Colors

The chemical formula for this particular gemstone is BeAl2O4, and the colors range from grey to brown to pink to purple to yellow to green to red to blue and even multicolor varieties. The refractive index of these gemstones is 1.744 to 1.755 and the SG is 3.5 to 3.8. These are translucent gemstones with a double refraction of .009 and they have a vitreous luster. In terms of cleavage, there is a 1.1 and 3.2 assignment to these gems. They are part of the chrysoberyl mineral class with an orthorhombic crystal system.

7. Demand for Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye is Strong

The demand for these stones is invariably strong, owing to the intensity and the clarity of the band of light that is displayed. The most desirable Cat's-Eye gemstones are those with a piercing bright light with a straight line of luminescence. Concentrated bands of light are preferred to weak bands of light. Since these jewels are often placed in pendants and rings, they are highly desired as expensive jewellery items. 

8. Several Factors Can Affect the Value of Chrysoberyl

There are many factors that affect the value of chrysoberyl, including color, clarity and luster, cut, and shape. Common chrysoberyl is beautiful, but is considered less valuable than rarer types including alexandrite and bluish-green chrysoberyl from Tanzania.

Low-grade chrysoberyl is often opaque or only slightly translucent. Average stones are often eye-clean, and exceptional stones have few, if any occlusions when viewed with a jewelers’ loupe. Even the lowest grade chrysoberyl often exhibits quite a bit of luster, and as the level of luster increases, the value often does too.

As with many other gemstones, chrysoberyl’s value can increase when it is well-cut. It is typically faceted, and is often step cut or brilliant cut; oval, cushion, emerald, and oval cuts are also very popular. Fancier shapes such as trillions and hearts are rarer, and are often of greater value than more common cuts.

9. Chrysoberyl is Found in All Types of Jewelry

Because chrysoberyl is a very hard, durable gemstone, it is suitable for use in all types of jewelry. It is often seen in rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and pendants, both by itself and showcased with other types of gemstones. Chrysoberyl cabochons are very popular for use in men’s rings, as are rare cat’s eye chrysoberyl stones. 

10. There are Many Reasons to Sell Chrysoberyl

  • You can transform unwanted or unused chrysoberyl gemstones and chrysoberyl jewelry into cash
  • It’s not difficult to find buyers interested in chrysoberyl
  • The market for chrysoberyl is strong

If you sell chrysoberyl, these ten tips can help you get the highest price for your gems. At Worthy, our expert appraisals, descriptions, and photography set the standard for reselling diamonds and jewelry. On our innovative live online auction platform, our network of thousands of professional buyers around the world compete to buy your diamonds and jewelry at the highest price. Because we receive a small percentage of the sales price, we are on your side: we profit only when you do too, unlike jewelry buyers who try to acquire your item for the lowest possible price so they can profit more. Although Worthy is not currently selling chrysoberyl, you can subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when we begin selling gemstones online.