Tiger's Eye is a chatoyant gemstone formed by the pseudomorphous replacement of crocidolite fibers by silica. It is highly valued for its striking golden-brown luster and distinctive 'cat-eye' band effect when polished in cabochons. It is typically found in weathered metamorphic rocks where oxidation of iron-rich fibers creates its signature warm color palette.
Spotting tiger's eye in the field
Field marks- 1
Golden brown with a silky band of light that moves across the surface
- 2
Fibrous structure visible as fine parallel lines running through the stone
- 3
Hardness 7, takes a high polish, opaque
Tiger's eye formed where quartz replaced fibrous crocidolite asbestos, keeping the fiber structure and with it the moving band of light. Rotate the stone under a single light source: the chatoyant band should sweep across at right angles to the fibers. The great majority comes from the Northern Cape in South Africa. Blue-grey material of the same type is called hawk's eye, and heating turns gold material red.
Before you collect
The parent material is crocidolite, a form of asbestos. In fully silicified tiger's eye the fibers are replaced and locked in quartz, but cutting and grinding any stone dry generates hazardous dust. Work wet and wear a respirator, which is good practice for all lapidary work and non-negotiable here.
Straight answers
- Is it worth cutting?
- Cut with the fibers running across the length of the cab and dome it well, or the chatoyant band will not form. This is a stone where a flat cut wastes the material.
- What is it really worth?
- Inexpensive. Sharp, bright, well-centered chatoyancy is what separates good from ordinary.
- Can you legally keep it?
- Imported material. South Africa regulates mineral export, so buy from established suppliers.
Often confused with
Tiger's Eye vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside tiger's eye
Minerals reported to co-occur with tiger's eye. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Density
- 2.64-2.71 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Silky
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Jewelry, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Metamorphic Rocks
- Typical price
- $2-20 per cabochon, $5-50 for small polished specimens.
Where rockhounds find tiger's eye
Classic worldwide localities
- South Africa
- Western Australia
- India
- USA
- Burma
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphic rocks country, the host setting where tiger's eye typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, limonite, riebeckite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
More tiger's eye photos
Common questions
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How much is tiger's eye worth?+
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Find tiger's eye on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
