CHATOYANCY – What is Chatoyance in Figured Wood?2024

Commercial Forest Products Content / By
        Koa wood Koa Tonewood with curly flame figure
        Flamed Koa shows chatoyance
        You may not know the term “chatoyance”, but you’ve probably seen it.  The term derives from the French word “chatoyer”, which means “to shine like a cat’s eye.” If you’ve ever seen a the semi-precious stone tiger’s eye, you get the idea. In woodworking, chatoyance is a similarly striking optical quality in which areas of light and dark grain shift and change position depending on the angle of view. The effect is most pronounced in burls and other wavy-grained woods, where abrupt changes in grain direction cause the concentration of reflected light to change dramatically based on the orientation of the surface of groups of wood cells. Chatoyance is most often considered a desirable effect, and can be enhanced or diminished during the finishing process. There are any number of recipes for maximizing the chatoyance of a finished piece of wood. Most call for a dye stain or other translucent colorant – as apposed to a pigmented stain – and an oil or shellac finish. Here’s one offered by finishing expert Michael Dresdner in answer to a question on producing a tiger eye finish on quilted maple:
         

        What is Chatoyance?

        Primarily, chatoyance is a descriptive term often associated with gemology.
         
        Additionally, it is an optical phenomenon where light reflects differently off separate areas of the same stone. The result is a three dimensional appearance.Often, it’s referred to ascat’s eye or tiger’s eye.  Below is a definition of chatoyance.  While the definition refers to gemstones, many characteristics define chatoyancy in wood, as well.
         
        In gemology, chatoyancy (/ʃəˈtɔɪ.ənsi/ shə-TOY-ən-see), or chatoyance or cat’s eye effect,[1] is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gemstones. Coined from the French “œil de chat”, meaning “cat’s eye”, chatoyancy arises either from the fibrous structure of a material, as in tiger’s eye quartz, or from fibrous inclusions or cavities within the stone, as in cat’s eye chrysoberyl.[2][3]
         

        Chatoyance in Wood

        However, figured woods also show chatoyance. Consequently, light refraction creates the cat’s eye effect. Additionally, the optics are often enhanced with wood finishing. 
         
        One cause of chatoyance is the tree being under stress as it grows, causing the grain to curl back on itself. This results in an effect that basically looks like waves within the wood. This is an amazing and beautiful 3D look that changes as you look at the wood from different angles.
         
        In a literal sense, it describes the color morphing properties of certain woods. Due to variations in wood growth patterns, light reflects differently off various areas of the wood. It is similar to how light creates interesting varied patterns when reflecting off a disco ball. 
         
        Additionally, stains and dyes enhance the cat’s eye effect.  The wavy patterns are an optical illusion. 

        Which Figured Woods Have Chatoyance? 

         
        Although, cat’s eye figure is present in many woods, certain species show it better than others. For example, alder & poplar exhibit very little chatoyancy. What good is chatoyancy that you can’t really see?
         
        Thus, good chatoyant figure in lumber requires three elements:
          
        1. Dark wood color tone
        2. Curly or flame figure
        3. Wavy grain
        4. Color tone variations
         

        Koa Wood Cat’s Eye

         
        Accordingly, Koa (acacia) shows it ideally. In additional, it has rich dark color tones that vacillate between red, tan and brown.  
         
        Figured Koa Guitar Top Quartersawn Wood
         
         

        Maple Cat’s Eye Figure

         
        Further, Big Leaf Western Maple shows cat’s eye significantly better than Northern Sugar Maple. The reason is that Big Leaf Maple sapwood has darker color than Hard Maple. Additionally, quilt figure pattern is very irregular and typically only found in western maple. Thus, although Sugar Maple may contain the figure and grain required for cat’s eye, it lacks the color contrast.
         
        Commercial Forest Products Quilted Maple
        Quilted Western Big Leaf Maple shows chatoyancy, even when unfinished.

        Sapele’s Shimmering Cat’s Eye

        One of the best woods for the shimmering 3D figure look of is African Sapele. The uniform deep dark brown color provides a perfect backdrop for chatoyance to project from the wood.
         
        Quilted Sapele Commercial Forest Products
        Quilted Sapele wet with alcohol to pop the grain.
         

        Wild Grain Mahogany Projects Cat’s Eye 

        Both African and Genuine Mahogany have great colors to show chatoyancy. However, often the grain is too uniform in Genuine Mahogany to reflect the optics.  It’s more commonly seen in African Mahogany and to a lesser extent Obeche, Okoume and Limba. This is due to its often wild / irregular grain patterns. 
         
        Figured Genuine Mahogany Commercial Forest Products
        A Rare board of 8/4 Mottle Figured Quartersawn Chatoyant Genuine Mahogany

         

        Okoume Wood is Chatoyant & Economical

        Okoume wood often produces intense wavy-grain figure on a budget.  Light reflects off its dark red/pink color in a stunning way. Thus, even mild figure tends to pop. Additionally, okoume wood commonly  contains ribbon figure. Thus, high density cat’s eye is often available at small premium. This is in contrast to hardwoods like Koa & Maple which command high premiums for high figure selections. 

        8/4 Okoume Lumber Wood
        Okoume Wood with Cat’s Eye Figure

         

         

        Primavera Lumber Has Wild Ropey Ribbon Figure

        Also known as blond mahogany, primavera wood is one of the few chatoyant woods with a pale color tone.

        Primavera wood
        Primavera Lumber is sometimes called Blond Mahogany but is not a true mahogany wood.

         

        Figured Iroko Lumber Chatoyance

        Curly Iroko or figured African Teak shows high levels of contrast and sparkling chatoyancy.

        Figured Iroko or Curly Teak wood