Image: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
trigonalcommonSilicates
Tiger's Eye
SiO2
A fibrous, chatoyant variety of quartz, typically golden to reddish-brown, exhibiting a shimmering band of light that moves across its surface. The image shows a rough, golden-brown specimen with a distinct silky luster.
Tiger's Eye Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7Crystal System
trigonalLuster
silkyStreak Color
whiteCleavage
noneFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
2.64Colors
golden-brown, yellow-brown, reddish-brownTransparency
translucentType Locality
South AfricaMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, ornamental objects, carvingsAssociated Minerals
crocidoliteRarity
commonGeological Context
Tiger's Eye forms as a pseudomorph of quartz after crocidolite, a fibrous amphibole mineral. The quartz replaces the crocidolite while preserving its original fibrous structure, which is responsible for its characteristic chatoyancy.
