

This places it in the same range as other quartz varieties, making it relatively durable and suitable for use in jewelry and decorative items. Hardness: On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, Tiger’s Eye has a hardness of around 7. Transparency: Tiger’s Eye is usually translucent to opaque, meaning that it allows some light to pass through but is not transparent enough to see objects clearly through it. When polished, it can exhibit a smooth and reflective surface that enhances its visual appeal. Luster: Tiger’s Eye has a silky to glassy luster. However, Tiger’s Eye can also occur in blue and green varieties, although they are less common. The golden-brown color is the most commonly seen, resembling the patterns and hues of a tiger, which is how it gets its name. Here are the details:Ĭolor: Tiger’s Eye typically exhibits golden to reddish-brown colors, often with parallel bands or stripes of varying shades. The physical characteristics of Tiger’s Eye include its color, luster, transparency, hardness, and specific gravity. Its unique appearance and rich colors make it a popular choice for gemstone enthusiasts and jewelry designers.ĪFRICAN TIGERS EYE 75.55CT 40.73X28.96MM OVAL CABOCHON Physical characteristics of Tiger’s Eye In summary, Tiger’s Eye is a quartz mineral that displays a chatoyant effect due to the presence of fibrous inclusions. The stone has a silky luster and a Mohs hardness of around 7, which makes it relatively durable for use in jewelry and other decorative purposes. Tiger’s Eye often exhibits golden to reddish-brown colors, although variations such as blue and green Tiger’s Eye also exist.

Over time, as the crocidolite is replaced by quartz and other minerals through a process called pseudomorphism, the distinctive chatoyant effect is formed. These fibers are naturally occurring and can be found embedded in the quartz. The fibrous inclusions in Tiger’s Eye are typically composed of mineral fibers such as crocidolite, which is a form of asbestos. This effect is caused by the reflection and scattering of light by parallel fibrous inclusions within the stone. Chatoyancy, also referred to as the cat’s eye effect, is a visible band of light that moves across the surface of the stone, resembling the slit-eye of a cat. What sets Tiger’s Eye apart is its unique optical phenomenon known as chatoyancy. It is composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), the same chemical composition as other varieties of quartz such as amethyst and citrine. Tiger’s Eye is a mineral gemstone that belongs to the quartz family. Color variations and optical properties.Physical characteristics of Tiger’s Eye.
