Cat's Eye Gemstone Beads

Frequently asked questions

• What are cat's eye beads made of?

  "Cat's eye" is a trade name shared between two materials. The strands in this collection are fiberoptic glass — a manufactured glass with engineered parallel fiber structures that produce the chatoyant (moving light band) effect when polished into round beads. The other material sold under the same trade name is chrysoberyl, a natural gemstone (Mohs 8.5) sourced from Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Madagascar; chrysoberyl cat's eye is almost always sold as faceted stones or cabochons at significant per-carat prices rather than as standard beading-supply strands. Material should be disclosed — ask before buying if it isn't specified.
• Is cat's eye a real stone?

  The chatoyant effect — the moving light band that gives cat's eye its name — is real and visually identical across both materials, but the underlying material in commercial bead-trade "cat's eye" is overwhelmingly fiberoptic glass rather than the natural chrysoberyl gemstone. Glass cat's eye is a well-established bead material with the durability and care profile of glass (Mohs 5–5.5), not gemstone. Natural chrysoberyl cat's eye exists in bead form but is rare, expensive, and not part of this catalog.
• How durable is cat's eye for daily wear?

  Glass cat's eye is Mohs 5–5.5 — suitable for necklaces, bracelets (light wear), and earrings, but not recommended for rings or impact-prone applications. The material will scratch against quartz-family stones (Mohs 7) and harder materials, and it can chip from impact. Standard glass care applies: soft cloth, mild soap, no ultrasonic or steam cleaning, store separately from harder stones.
• What colors does cat's eye come in?

  Because fiberoptic glass cat's eye is manufactured, it is available in any color the manufacturer produces — Dakota's active inventory carries green, brown, gray, and red, but the broader bead market includes blue, pink, gold, purple, and other saturated solid colors. The chatoyant band is most visible on darker base colors; lighter colors show a more subtle effect. Natural chrysoberyl, by contrast, occurs only in honey-yellow, greenish-yellow, and brownish-yellow tones.
• What sizes does Dakota carry?

  Active inventory centers on 6mm and 8mm rounds, with 10mm and 12mm rounds also stocked. Round is the dominant cut. Full size availability is filterable in the grid above; designers replenishing an existing design can confirm exact strand specifications on each listing.