Tumbled Tiger's Eye

Look into the eye of a magnificent tiger. That creature's animal magnetism gleams in this golden-yellow, deeply banded gemstone. Tiger's eye (also called tigereye or "tiger's eye stone") is silicified crocidolite in quartz. When it's cut into shapes, that iridescent undulating luster (also called chatoyancy) is as hypnotic as the eye of a tiger. Lower levels of iron during the stone's formation can result in stones with a blue tinge. Maroon forms of tiger's eye are almost always dyed or heated to create or enhance that shade. Nitric acid is sometimes used to lighten or brighten specimens which are too dark. The eye of the tiger gleams in iridescent splendor. It is more than the thrill of a fight--it is clear-sighted vision to see past survival.