Many types of gems exhibit chatoyance; however, it is not present in every specimen of those gems and is usually only seen in a minority of specimens.

Gems with well-known chatoyance include the following: chrysoberyl, tiger’s-eye, actinolite, apatite, beryl (aquamarine, heliodor, emerald), beryllonite, cerussite, danburite, diaspore, diopside, enstatite, garnet, iolite, kyanite, moonstone, opal, peridot, pezzottaite, prehnite, quartz, rutile, sillimanite, scapolite, spinel, topaz, tourmaline, and zircon.