What is Tiger's Eye?
Tiger's Eye
A chatoyant gemstone
Originally discovered in the late 1700's by Francois Levaillant, the beautiful chatoyant Tiger's Eye once was valued almost as highly as gold. This changed in the 19th century when large deposits were discovered in Africa and Australia that are still productive till this day - producing beautiful gem quality pieces of material.
Over the years since its discovery, Tiger's Eye has been used for everything from jewelry to decorative pieces (like the polished obelisks pictured below and available in the shop)!
Various deposits of Tiger's Eye have been found throughout the world, each with a unique configuration of chatoyant fibers. Check out some of the Tiger's Eye cabochons available now!
Tiger's Eye is composed of microcrystalline quartz (SiO2) arranged in long fibers where it has replaced an asbestiform mineral called crocidolite [Na2(Fe2+3Fe3+2)Si8O22(OH,F,CL)2]. The arrangement of these fibers interferes with the path of light as it travels through and reflects off the stone, giving it a radiant and silky luster.
Tiger's Eye Physical Properties:
Mohs' Hardness: 5.5-6
Specific Gravity: 2.64-2.71
Classification: Metamorphic rock