This is a special moissanite eye faceted with a dark dichroic layer at the culet which gives it a pupil! I cut it to commemorate the final release of Look Outside which I worked on. It weighs in at 10ct and measures 14mm in diameter.
I think this might be the coolest gem I've cut! It's extremely brilliant and throws a ton of color and brilliance, and when you look at it it looks back! It has a few growth needles running down the length which get reflected back, giving it a 3d look too.
This is moissanite, also known as silicon carbide. It is an excellent gem, with incredible hardness (around 9.25-9.5) and greater brilliance and fire than a diamond. It is perfect for use in all kinds of jewelry.
Though it is well known in the gem world it is also highly valued in the world of science and industry. It is a semiconductor just like pure silicon but far more durable and heat-resistant, so it is used to make computer chips that need to endure high stress environments like in a car engine. Fortunately for us these uses require very exacting standards and sometimes crystals are rejected. These crystals had growth defects, resulting in hollow needles and carbon clusters which ruined them for semiconductor usage.
