Golden Tigers Eye

Golden Tigers Eye is a semi precious mineral, often used in jewellery making or for a decorative stone.

It is characterized by its striking golden-brown color and chatoyant or “cat’s eye” effect, which is created by the reflection of light off of the mineral fibers within the stone.

Information about Golden Tigers Eye

Golden Tigers Eye is a chatoyant gemstone – a type of metamorphic rock characterised by a golden brown colour – although Tigers Eye also occurs in a red/brown colour, and even a blue colour.

The contrasting bands of colour and silky lustre make a beautiful and comforting pattern which reminds me of wide, sunny deserts. It is mainly used for jewellery-making and ornamentation.

Tigers Eye is actually formed from a mineral called Crocidolite, which pseudomorphs into Quartz over time. As the blue Crocidolite is replaced, traces of Iron remain – the less Iron remains, the bluer the stone. The more iron, the closer to the the common golden colour.

Crocidolite is actually a form of Asbestos, but don’t worry – Tigers Eye is a pseudomorph and is perfectly safe to handle – the asbestos has been replaced with Quartz. Anyone wishing to work with the stone in a lapidary workshop should obviously take all the proper precautions.