Tigers Eye

Description:

Tiger's eye is a yellow-brown, semiprecious chatoyant gemstone consisting of quartz with parallel veins of silicified altered crocidolite.

It is a chatoyant gemstone that is usually a metamorphic rock that is yellow- to red-brown, with a silky lustre. A member of the quartz group, it is a classic example of pseudomorphous replacement by silica of fibrous crocidolite (blue asbestos). An incompletely solidified blue variant is called Hawk's eye.

The gems are usually cut in cabochon in order to best display their chatoyancy. Red stones are brought about through gentle heat treatment. Honey-coloured stones have been used to imitate the much higher valued cat's eye chrysoberyl (cymophane), but the overall effect is unconvincing. Artificial fiberoptic glass is a common imitation of tiger's eye, and is produced in a wide range of colours

Holistic Properties:

Tiger Eye lets you see everything. Use it for insight and you can be a very lucky person. When used in jewellery the tiger eye may bring good luck and protection from the evil eye to the wearer. It is also known to bring clear thinking and insight.

Tiger's-eye or Cat's-Eye is a stone for the mind, not the body. Tiger Eye is used to focus the mind. It will cause the mind to have feeling of oneness and feel more direct in all thoughts. It makes one aware of one's own needs related to the needs of others.

A personal symbol carved in Tiger eye is excellent for the spiritually advanced to use in meditation.

Gem Folklore:

Tier iron is an altered rock composed chiefly of tiger's eye, red jasper, and black hematite. The undulating, contrasting bands of colour and lustre make for an attractive motif, and it is mainly used for jewellery-making and ornamentation. Tiger iron is a popular ornamental material used in a variety of applications, from beads and cabochons to knife hilts. Tiger's eye is primarily composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and the specific gravity ranges from 2.64 -2.71. Formed by the alteration of crocidolite and consists essentially of quartz coloured by iron oxide.

Sourcing:

Notable sources of tiger's eye include the USA, South Africa, Canada, China, Brazil, Namibia, India, and Burma.

Zodiac & Birthstone:

Zodiac: Capricorn