Tigers Eye Crystal Information
Terrific Tiger's Eye Crystals: Tigers Eye Meaning, Properties & Information
Tigers Eye is an incredibly unique flashy gold semi precious stone displaying fiery hues of gold, orange, brown, and red in an appearance indicative of tiger stripes.
With a silky lustre and stunning chatoyancy/ Cat's Eye Effect, stunning Tigers Eye Gemstones are famous for their striking, shimmering aesthetic.
What Is Tigers Eye Made Of?
Tiger's Eye is a unique form of fibrous Quartz which displays chatoyancy.
As a mineral belonging to the Quartz family of minerals, Tiger's Eye is made primarily of silicon dioxide.
It is thought that iron oxides such as limonite create the signature gold, red, yellow, and brown hues of Tiger's Eye.
Tigers Eye Chatoyancy: Cat's Eye Effect
Tiger's Eye can also be described as Chatoyant Quartz: in fact, this gemstone is famous for its chatoyancy.
A chatoyant gemstone such as Tiger's Eye displays a striking optical effect: when illuminated, a thin line of light is reflected from tiny fibres within the stone, and as one moves the stone back and forth, the line of light also moves, creating a stunning shimmer across the stone's surface.
The narrow band of light on the stone has the appearance of a slitted cat's eye, and for this reason, chatoyancy is sometimes referred to as the "Cat's Eye Effect".
In fact, the term "chatoyancy" is derived from the French for "Cat's Eye".
Tigers Eye Name Meaning
Tiger's Eye gains its unique name from its tiger-like appearance (its orange-red colouring and stripe patterns), as well as from its chatoyancy/ cat's eye effect.
Where Does Tigers Eye Come From?
Tiger's Eye can be found in various locations worldwide, including Australia, the USA, Brazil, and India.
Perhaps the most important modern source of Tiger's Eye is South Africa.
Other Types Of Tigers Eye
There are some interesting varieties of Tiger's Eye.
- Tiger Iron is a unique mixture of Tiger's Eye, Red Jasper, and Hematite
- Hawk's Eye is a rare form of Blue Tiger's Eye
- Pietersite is a combination of Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye in Quartz
How Do Tigers Eye Crystals Form?
There are two main theories about the formation and composition of Tiger's Eye as a mineral and crystal.
There remains contention in the geological and mineralogical communities even today about how exactly Tiger's Eye forms, especially over whether Tiger's Eye is a pseudomorph mineral or not.
Is Tiger's Eye A Pseudomorph Of Crocidolite?
Ferdinand Wibel, a German mineralogist, first theorised in 1873 that Tiger's Eye was a pseudomorph crystal, and for over a hundred years, Tiger's Eye was seen as a key example of pseudomorphism in minerals.
It was believed that Tiger's Eye was a form of Quartz which contained small fibres of Crocidolite, a blue amphibole (needle-like mineral) which forms in needle-like crystal fibres containing iron.
Wibel theorised that millions of years ago, in metamorphic rock and iron formations, the mineral Crocidolite grew, and Quartz minerals grew around/ over it.
He argued that over millions of years, the Quartz replaced the Crocidolite fibres via mineral replacement.
Wibel believed that the replaced Quartz minerals retained the original fibrous structure of the Crocidolite mineral: this is an example of pseudomorphism, where a mineral forms in the shape of another mineral in a shape it does not naturally form in.
The subparallel growth of altered crocidolite fibres (now Quartz fibres) was said to cause the famed chatoyancy of Tiger's Eye.
Wibel also believed that during the mineral replacement process, the iron-rich Crocidolite was broken down to form iron oxides such as limonite, which stained the Quartz the signature yellow, gold, red, and brown colours of Tiger's Eye.
A New Theory Of Tiger's Eye Mineral Formation: Tiger's Eye Isn't A Pseudomorph?
A more recent theory was posited by mineralogists Heaney and Fisher in 2003.
After studying a Tiger's Eye specimen under a microscope, they discovered that Tiger's Eye was not actually a pseudomorph.
The mineralogists could see the Quartz in Tiger's Eye, but instead of observing small fibres of Quartz as expected, they found unexpectedly uniform-shaped large Quartz columns, which were unlikely to have been created via pseudomorphism.
Heaney and Fisher also could see small fibres of Crocidolite in the Tiger's Eye crystal which were different in shape/size to these unique large Quartz columns.
The difference in shape of the Quartz columns and Crocidolite fibres, and the subparallel growth of these minerals, indicated that the Quartz had not replaced the Crocidolite, and therefore Tiger's Eye was not a pseudomorph.
Instead, it was suggested that the Quartz grew alongside/ parallel to the Crocidolite fibres in their large columns via a crack-seal mechanism.
The chatoyancy of Tiger's Eye is believed to be caused by the Crocidolite fibres, not the Quartz columns, although it is still believed that the signature colours of Tiger's Eye are caused by iron oxide inclusions and coatings.
Tigers Eye History
In ancient history, Tiger's Eye was a focus of many superstitions worldwide.
In Eastern cultures such as China, the tiger is considered to be the most powerful being, the true king of the jungle: for this reason, Tiger's Eye has long been coveted as a powerful symbol of protection, power, and good fortune.
Roman soldiers wore engraved Tiger's Eye Amulets on the battlefield as stones of protection: these Tiger's Eye Talismans were designed to keep the soldiers safe from their enemies, to gift them courage and bravery, and to also ward off evil spirits.
Tigers Eye In Ancient Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, Tiger's Eye was seen as a representation of Sun energy: pharaohs wore jewellery carved from Tiger's Eye to gain the protection of Ra the Sun God, and to attract strength, power, and vitality.
Tiger's Eye was also used to decorate the tombs of pharaohs to attract good fortune as they journeyed into the afterlife.
Tiger's Eye was sometimes seen as also harmoniously representing Earth energy: for this reason, wearing Tiger's Eye amulets was also believed to attract the protection of Geb the Earth God.
The Egyptians also used Tiger's Eye to make eyes for the statues of their gods and goddesses for the stone was believed to represent divine vision and the "all-seeing eye".
Tiger's Eye In Modern History: Tigers Eye Gemstones
Historically, Tiger's Eye was considered to be a precious stone, even more valuable than gold: this was until the 1800s, when large deposits of the stone were discovered in South Africa.
Tiger's Eye is now considered to be a semi-precious stone.
Tiger's Eye Crystal Healing Properties
Tiger's Eye is an incredibly powerful crystal healing stone with regards to crystal spirituality and crystal healing.
Tiger's Eye is used by crystal healers to improve motivation, energy, and will-power, as well as to soothe, calm, and heal mood swings and strong emotions.
The balancing nature of Tiger's Eye makes it perfect for people struggling with indecisiveness: this stone provides the stability and intuition for good decision-making.
Tiger's Eye is also said to represent the all-seeing eye and all-knowing eye, thus it is believed to help its users to find clarity and understanding during times of difficulty.
A stone of vitality and passion, Tiger's Eye is a great example of a Gemini Zodiac stone.
Tigers Eye is also an important symbol of good luck, fortune, and abundance.
Tigers Eye Chakras And Chakra Healing
Tiger's Eye resonates well with the Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, and Solar Plexus Chakra.
Tigers Eye: Root Chakra Stone
When used as a Root Chakra Crystal Healing Stone, Tiger's Eye can gift its user with a sense of strength and security, both emotionally and physically.
Other Root Chakra Healing Crystals that can be used in combination with Tiger's Eye to enhance the healing energy include:
- Garnet
- Ruby
- Smoky Quartz (or Smokey Quartz)
- Black Tourmaline (also known as Schorl)
Tigers Eye: Sacral Chakra Stone
When used as a Sacral Chakra Crystal Healing Stone, Tiger's Eye can increase feelings of pleasure and joy in its user, as well as boost creativity, intuition, and self-worth.
Other Sacral Chakra Healing Crystals that can be used in combination with Tiger's Eye to enhance the healing energy include:
- Carnelian (or Cornelian)
- Sunstone
- Orange Calcite
Tigers Eye: Solar Plexus Chakra Stone
When used as a Solar Plexus Chakra Crystal Healing Stone, Tiger's Eye activates its user's personal power and self-confidence.
Other Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Crystals that can be used in combination with Tiger's Eye to enhance the healing energy include:
- Citrine (including Ametrine)
- Yellow Quartz (otherwise known as Golden Healer Quartz)
- Optical Honey Calcite (also known as Golden Calcite or Amber Calcite)
Tigers Eye In Feng Shui
Tiger's Eye embodies Fire Element Energy in Feng Shui as well as Earth Element Energy, and is a perfect example of the balance between Sun and Earth: yin and yang in action.
Tiger's Eye inspires both the confidence, strength, bravery, and fiery passion characteristic of the Fire Element in Feng Shui, and the stability, calm, and grounding nature of the Earth Element in Feng Shui.
Tiger's Eye has many uses in Feng Shui: for example, when placed next to a door or a window, especially the front door, the crystal is said to offer protection to the inhabitant of the room from negative energies.
When used in the home's study or work areas, for example when placed on a desk, Tiger's Eye is said to enhance focus, motivation, and decision-making abilities, as well as to attract abundance and wealth.
How Hard Is Tigers Eye?
Tiger's Eye measures 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness, which means that it is a durable mineral resistant to some scratching, but care should still be taken not to damage the crystal surface.
Tigers Eye Crystal Care
To clean your Tiger's Eye Crystal, simply use water and dry it afterwards with a soft cloth.
Tigers Eye Crystal Collections
Tiger's Eye would make a perfect addition to any crystal collection.
A Tiger's Eye crystal would also make a wonderful gift for any Gemini in your life, or for loved ones born in the Year of the Tiger.
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