How and where is Tiger’s Eye formed and found?

The Tiger’s Eye is a fascinating gemstone that is very popular with spiritualists and astrologists.  This beautiful gemstone has been known to man for millennia and has been used to ward off evil, illness and evil doers. For those that are not into the spiritual meaning of Tiger’s Eye, it is still a very interesting and intriguing gemstone.  Here is some more information.

Tiger’s Eye is formed from the mineral of Quartz.  Quartz is the most common mineral on earth and makes up 12% of the world’s crust.  Quartz is created from Silicon Dioxide and Tiger’s Eye always includes iron oxide.

Quartz can be found in most regions of the world, however gem grade Quartz is found in far fewer places.  Usually Tiger’s Eye can be found near iron bands.  These iron bands can mix with many elements to give it wonderful color.  For instance, Tiger’s Eye consists of trace elements of iron in it.  This helps create the beautiful shapes of honey or yellow and brown.  Tiger’s Eye is fibrous in nature and very silky to the touch.  It should also be noted that there is a synthetic Tiger’s Eye that can be made from plastic or other lower cost minerals or even from small filaments of plastic that create a fiber optic type of eye. 

This gemstone can be found mainly in South Africa, however, Tiger’s Eye is also known to form in smaller quantities in Canada, China, Brazil, the USA, India and Burma.

The color, shapes and sizes that Tiger’s Eye comes in

Tiger’s Eye is an extremely interesting gemstone.  While it fairly common in its make up it can be extremely fascinating to look at.  The Tiger’s Eye is what its name suggests, a gemstone that largely resembles the mystique and magic of a Tiger’s Eye.  The Tiger’s Eye is formed from Quartz, which is one of the most common minerals on earth, making up 12% of the earth’s crust.  However, Quartz does come in many varieties and colors, and when certain Quartz colors come together, they can create truly exquisite gemstones.

Usually, the Tiger’s Eye contains three colors; honey yellow, brown and red, these colors along with the silky luster of the quartz creates the appearance and beauty of the Tiger’s Eye.  Usually this gemstone is cut into one simple shape, the Cabochon which is spherish.  While sizes do vary, most of the time this gemstone is made for a ring or charm setting.

Tiger’s Eye is usually affordable and it should be noted that synthetic Tiger’s Eye do occur, mostly from lower valued minerals or plastic.  There is also Tiger’s Eye made from fiber optic plastic filaments.

Besides synthetic Tiger’s Eye, there is also a gemstone called Tiger Iron.  This stone is made with red Jasper and black hued Hematite.  These gemstones are not as popular as normal Tiger’s Eye, but still extremely beautiful.  If you are looking for a gemstone that looks fascinating for everyday jewelry or as a spiritual talisman, Tiger’s Eye is worth pursuing.