Description
Tiger's eye is a variety of quartz. The stone has a yellowish-brown to brown color, is striated and opaque. It is found in Africa, India, Mexico, California, and Australia. Tiger's eye forms through the silicification of blackish-blue asbestos fibers, known as crocidolite, resulting in solid inclusions of hair-like crystals within the quartz. The stone's golden sheen is caused by oxidation of the original crocidolite fibers, creating limonite fibers. The stone is named for its reflection of light, which resembles a tiger's eye, an effect called chatoyancy or "cat's eye." The cat's eye effect is most pronounced when the stone is cut cabochon-style. The stone's color determines its name: red is known as Cat's Eye, blue as Falcon's Eye, and yellow as Tiger's Eye (golden yellow, golden brown).
