( pictured: oval cabochon labradorite match pair, rectangle sugarloaf deep labradorite match pair, large cushion deep labradorite, small cushion light labradorite )

Chatoyance: An optical light phenomenon that creates a cat's eye flash in a gemstone.

All gemstones are made up of core minerals that have been arranged, by nature, in different crystalline structures. The combination of these natural structures and the core minerals result in the stunning effects of color and light that gemstones display to us. 

Chatoyance occurs in gemstones like labradorite who's crystalline structures are fibrous and linear in shape. Moonstone and labradorite's collections of fibrous structures refract light creating a gorgeous cat's eye flash in both gemstones. 

( pictured: white moonstone beads, white moonstone sugarloaf, white moonstone  pears, white moonstone cushion ) 

Chatoyance in Carla's work !