Tiger's eye

Tiger's eye is a translucent to opaque quartz with a silky luster and brown and gold stripes. Tiger's eye can be a brownish red, blue or brown, but all of the tiger's eye crystals are grounding stones. Stones cut en cabochon with a gold band along the center resemble a cat's eye due to the fibrous structure of the stone. They also are very soothing to look at and are marvelous for children who are hyperactive.

For those who believe there are healing powers, and a source of energy that lie in quartz and other stones the Tiger Eye crystal is a must have. The Tiger Eye's crystal often comes in a variety of shapes and is worn more often in beads or pendants than other pieces of jewelry.

The Tiger's Eye is a semiprecious gemstone which historically was worn for protection. It was said to be a stone which kept a constant "eye" on the holder. Skipping a few centuries later however, the Tiger's Eye was discovered in large quantities in Western South African soil in the 1880's. South Africa is the most important source of tiger's eye gems. It sells for about $3 to $70 per stone.

A grayish blue quartz with a similar cat's eye effect is called Hawk's eye.