Gem Profile- Tiger Eye
Imagine living in an exotic place like India or Africa, long ago, and noticing the eyes of a tiger peering at you through a field of elephant grass. Deep rich gold colored eyes, with flecks of bright yellow and pale green, and definitely chatoyant. This depiction also describes the macrocrystalline quartz we call tiger eye, and could very well be the origin of the name as tiger eye quartz is mined in both India and Africa. Although challenging for a lapidary, when the mostly straight fibers of this stone are oriented and cut properly, tiger eye is a perfect example of chatoyancy, shimmering like the eye of a cat. ("Chat" being French for "cat".)
Tiger eye began as a type of blue riebeckite or asbestos, geologically called silicified crocidolite.
When the silky, fibrous crocidolite decomposed and was replaced by quartz containing traces of iron minerals like goethite, the beautifully banded brown and gold tiger eye was formed.
There is no need to worry when working with tiger eye, as it is a quartz pseudomorph after asbestos. However, lapidaries should always wear a face mask or respirator when cutting or grinding any stone.
Rough tiger eye, photographed wet on my studio porch.
When the silky, fibrous crocidolite decomposed and was replaced by quartz containing traces of iron minerals like goethite, the beautifully banded brown and gold tiger eye was formed.
There is no need to worry when working with tiger eye, as it is a quartz pseudomorph after asbestos. However, lapidaries should always wear a face mask or respirator when cutting or grinding any stone.
Rough tiger eye, photographed wet on my studio porch.
Pictured:
Monica White created this necklace using a tiger eye donut and beads, and chain.
and
Tiger's eye bracelet, using tiger eye beads and formed wire, by Irisha Patterson
Monica White created this necklace using a tiger eye donut and beads, and chain.
and
Tiger's eye bracelet, using tiger eye beads and formed wire, by Irisha Patterson
Natural blue to blue-gray tiger eye occurs when some crocidolite remains in the rock, known as Hawk's Eye.
Falcon's Eye describes pale blue-gray banding within golden browns.
Bi-colored tiger eye, with both blue and green bands, is very rare.
The green comes from yellow and blue strands evenly dispersed. Natural red tiger eye is also rare. Brown tiger eye can be heat-treated to create a rich mahogany red, called Bull's Eye or Ox Eye, while commercially bleached tiger eye results in a honey color.
Wire-wrapped tiger eye necklace and ring by Donna Geurin. Donna says, "My husband had made a necklace and clip earrings for me 40 years ago, which I hadn't worn. When I started wire work, I asked my teacher to help reset these stones, and you can see what resulted."
Falcon's Eye describes pale blue-gray banding within golden browns.
Bi-colored tiger eye, with both blue and green bands, is very rare.
The green comes from yellow and blue strands evenly dispersed. Natural red tiger eye is also rare. Brown tiger eye can be heat-treated to create a rich mahogany red, called Bull's Eye or Ox Eye, while commercially bleached tiger eye results in a honey color.
Wire-wrapped tiger eye necklace and ring by Donna Geurin. Donna says, "My husband had made a necklace and clip earrings for me 40 years ago, which I hadn't worn. When I started wire work, I asked my teacher to help reset these stones, and you can see what resulted."
While we were in Tucson this past February, at one of the hotel shows we saw thousands of pound of rough tiger eye for purchase. (Not me, I already had some!)
As a member of the quartz family, opaque to semi-translucent tiger eye has a hardness of 7. It has been a favorite material for carving and jewelry making for centuries.
Tiger eye has been used for cameos, statuary, decorative tiles, building columns, ornamental carvings of animals and urns, as well as cabochons and beads in many shapes.
Affordable and abundant, tiger eye is popular with wire jewelry designers. Its natural, earthy shades of gold, yellow, and brown complement almost any outfit and are especially favored for men's jewelry, including rings.
A carved big cat and a cameo, both made of brown/gold tiger eye, and one of the perfume bottles in my collection is a great example of tiger iron from Australia (carved in China).
Tiger eye has been used for cameos, statuary, decorative tiles, building columns, ornamental carvings of animals and urns, as well as cabochons and beads in many shapes.
Affordable and abundant, tiger eye is popular with wire jewelry designers. Its natural, earthy shades of gold, yellow, and brown complement almost any outfit and are especially favored for men's jewelry, including rings.
A carved big cat and a cameo, both made of brown/gold tiger eye, and one of the perfume bottles in my collection is a great example of tiger iron from Australia (carved in China).
Tiger eye is primarily found in South Africa, Australia, India, Arizona, California, and China.
There are also lesser-known forms of tiger eye.
Discovered in Western Australia in the 1970s, opaque tiger "iron" is a composite of bright brown/gold tiger eye, red jasper, and metallic hematite. It is sometimes labeled as Australian Tiger Eye or tiger eye jasper.
Joani Mullan created this rich necklace and earring set using red, blue, and gold tiger eye beads with copper wire.
There are also lesser-known forms of tiger eye.
Discovered in Western Australia in the 1970s, opaque tiger "iron" is a composite of bright brown/gold tiger eye, red jasper, and metallic hematite. It is sometimes labeled as Australian Tiger Eye or tiger eye jasper.
Joani Mullan created this rich necklace and earring set using red, blue, and gold tiger eye beads with copper wire.
Another fascinating form of tiger eye was discovered in Namibia in 1962. This material is quite translucent, and unlike regular tiger eye, its fibers are not straight or parallel.
The fibers are distributed throughout the quartz in irregular masses and can appear in many colors-red, red-gold, dark blue, and occasionally green. This material is known as Pietersite or the Storm Stone.
Today, most Pietersite on the market comes from China. However, sources indicate the mine has been flooded and closed, contributing to the high price of quality Pietersite.
Some designer cabochons made of blue Pietersite from China. Private collection, Dale Armstrong.
While shopping at Cloud's Jamboree (formerly in Quartzite, AZ), I found a beautiful metallic brown and gold material labeled Pietersite. I brought some home for my husband to play with and still have these now-rare cabochons.
The fibers are distributed throughout the quartz in irregular masses and can appear in many colors-red, red-gold, dark blue, and occasionally green. This material is known as Pietersite or the Storm Stone.
Today, most Pietersite on the market comes from China. However, sources indicate the mine has been flooded and closed, contributing to the high price of quality Pietersite.
Some designer cabochons made of blue Pietersite from China. Private collection, Dale Armstrong.
While shopping at Cloud's Jamboree (formerly in Quartzite, AZ), I found a beautiful metallic brown and gold material labeled Pietersite. I brought some home for my husband to play with and still have these now-rare cabochons.
Used as a talisman in many cultures, tiger eye is believed to protect the wearer from illness and evil, as well as to balance Yin and Yang energies.
The only true imitation of tiger eye is glass or fiber optics. Be cautious of items labeled as silver tiger eye, eagle eye, frog's eye, or other unusual names.
What is sometimes called "silver" tiger eye may actually be Binghamite or Silkstone, minerals found in Minnesota.
The only true imitation of tiger eye is glass or fiber optics. Be cautious of items labeled as silver tiger eye, eagle eye, frog's eye, or other unusual names.
What is sometimes called "silver" tiger eye may actually be Binghamite or Silkstone, minerals found in Minnesota.
Resources
Print Resources:
Love is in the Earth by Melody, ISBN 0-9628190-3-4
The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough, ISBN 0-395-24049-2
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones by Curzio Cipriani and Alessandro Borelli, ISBN 0-671-60430-9
Internet Resources:
www.mindat.org
www.wikipedia.org
Print Resources:
Love is in the Earth by Melody, ISBN 0-9628190-3-4
The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough, ISBN 0-395-24049-2
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones by Curzio Cipriani and Alessandro Borelli, ISBN 0-671-60430-9
Internet Resources:
www.mindat.org
www.wikipedia.org
Materials
Wire
Blue Tiger Eye
Red Tiger Eye
Tiger Eye
Tiger Eye Cabochons
Blue Tiger Eye 10x14mm Oval Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-95
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- Price: $8.95
- Gold Club Price: $6.71
Red Tiger Eye 10mm Round Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-817
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- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $8.40
- Gold Club Price: $6.30
Tiger Eye 12mm Coin Beads - 8 Inch Strand
A1-472
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- Price: $10.50
- Gold Club Price: $7.88
Tiger Eye 13x18mm Rectangle Cabochon
E8-10P
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- Price: $3.00
- Gold Club Price: $2.25
Tools
WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5
G15-20
- G15-20
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- Price: $170.72
- Gold Club Price: $128.04
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- Category: General Education
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Dale Armstrong
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