1.31 Ct. Brownish Yellow Cabochon Chrysoberyl from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This translucent brownish yellow chrysoberyl presents as a precision worked round shape cabochon weighing 1.31 carat, with exact dimensions of 6.11 x 5.93 x 3.67 mm. The cabochon cut has been executed to emphasize color saturation and internal light diffusion, producing an intense color intensity that reads as warm honey to deep amber under daylight and incandescent sources alike. Clarity has been graded as very very slightly included when evaluated at eye level, indicating only minimal internal features that do not detract from visual performance or structural integrity. The surface finish is of excellent polish, applied uniformly across the dome and girdle to maximize luster and hand feel. There has been no enhancement of any kind, the material is wholly natural, and the stated origin is Ceylon, Sri Lanka, a region known for producing chrysoberyl with fine color and stable properties. The Natural Gemstone Company stands behind the provenance and documentation of this gem, ensuring traceable sourcing from river gravels and artisanal mine operations to our cutting bench.

From a gemological perspective this specimen is a true chrysoberyl in both composition and optical behavior, its chemical identity being beryllium aluminate BeAl2O4. Refractive indices lie in the expected range for chrysoberyl, with values near 1.746 to 1.756 depending on orientation, and measured birefringence on the order of 0.008 to 0.010. The material exhibits the hardness characteristic of chrysoberyl at approximately 8.5 on the Mohs scale, lending excellent resistance to wear and suitability for daily wear settings. Specific gravity for chrysoberyl typically ranges from about 3.70 to 3.75, which correlates to a substantive feel for a stone of this size. Optical phenomena are controlled by the cabochon profile, which at the stated dimensions produces a dome height that is substantial relative to diameter, approximately 61 percent, a proportion selected to optimize internal scattering of light and to enhance perceived depth without sacrificing stability during setting.

The clarity description very very slightly included, evaluated at eye level, conveys that inclusions are minute and typically require modest magnification to inspect in detail, while remaining negligible to practical observation. Inclusions in chrysoberyl from Sri Lanka commonly take the form of fine rutile needles, microscopic fluid cavities, or isolated mineral grains, and in this example such elements serve more to confirm natural origin than to impair appearance. The brownish yellow hue is a function of trace element chemistry and subtle crystal field effects, iron being a principal chromophore that shifts the base yellow towards warmer brown tones when present in higher concentration, while minor contributions from titanium or structural defects can modulate saturation. The lack of enhancement means that these color characteristics are intrinsic to the crystal lattice, preserved by conservative cutting choices. Craftsmanship on this example began with careful preforming to retain weight and ideal dome geometry, followed by progressive sanding across successively finer abrasives, and concluded with a meticulous polish employing cerium oxide to achieve the smooth, reflective surface that reveals the stone at its best.

To situate this gem in geological time is to consider a long sequence of high temperature and pressure events that predate human memory by hundreds of millions of years. In Sri Lanka, chrysoberyl typically nucleated in regionally metamorphosed terrains and in pegmatitic pockets where beryllium rich fluids migrated through fractures and cavity spaces within aluminous host rocks. Under metamorphic conditions the elements reorganized into the orthorhombic chrysoberyl structure, a process that requires mobility of beryllium and the presence of aluminum rich matrices, conditions met intermittently during protracted orogenic cycles. Over geological epochs primary deposits were exposed and subjected to chemical weathering, releasing durable chrysoberyl crystals into alluvial systems where fluvial sorting concentrated the heavier gems into gravel lenses. It is from these ancient channels that the rough material for this cabochon was recovered, then hand selected for color and clarity, and finally shaped by an experienced cutter who understood both the mineral physics and the optical aims for a translucent, intensely colored cabochon. The Natural Gemstone Company documents this chain of custody and quality control, and we invite knowledgeable buyers to request specific laboratory data or additional images to assess the material under their preferred lighting and magnification conditions.