by Hans Durstling
Among the stones that can be cut to show a star or eye effect, most
everyone is familiar with star sapphires, Idaho star garnets, and of course the
ubiquitous tiger-eye. Even opals can sometimes cat’s-eye. But it was not until
I visited my friend Carol Bova that I learned tourmaline could also yield a
very attractive cat’s-eye stone.
By now, I’ve cut quite a few of these — both on Carol’s Genie and on my
own Graves CabMate. While it isn’t rocket science, there are a few quirks to
watch out for.