Image: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
trigonalcommonSilicates
Tiger's Eye
SiO2
Tiger's Eye is a chatoyant gemstone, typically golden to reddish-brown, displaying a silky luster and a characteristic band of reflected light that resembles a cat's eye.
Tiger's Eye Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7Crystal System
trigonalLuster
silkyStreak Color
whiteCleavage
noneFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
2.64Colors
golden-yellow, golden-brown, reddish-brownTransparency
opaqueType Locality
Northern Cape Province, South AfricaMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, ornamental objects, carvings, collectorAssociated Minerals
quartz, crocidoliteRarity
commonGeological Context
It forms when quartz pseudomorphically replaces crocidolite asbestos, a fibrous blue amphibole. The parallel fibers of crocidolite are replaced by silica while retaining their fibrous structure, which causes the chatoyancy.
