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Quartz · SiO₂ with fibres · 7

Tiger's eye

Tiger's eye is quartz that grew through a mass of fine mineral fibres. The fibres were a blue asbestos mineral, crocidolite, which iron oxide later turned golden brown, all sealed inside hard quartz. Light catches the parallel fibres and throws a bright band that rolls across the stone as you tilt it, called chatoyancy, the cat's-eye effect. Blue, less altered stone is called hawk's eye. It is cheap, tough and never lab-grown.

From the ground to your hand

The same stone at four moments. Tap a photo of a listing to see it on Amazon.

  1. 01 In the ground (step 1 of 4)

    Raw tiger's eye: golden bands of fibrous quartz in an iron-rich rock, as mined in South Africa.

    Raw tiger's eye: golden bands of fibrous quartz in an iron-rich rock, as mined in South Africa.

    Real specimen. Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0.

  2. 02 Rough (step 2 of 4)

    A raw piece of tiger's eye, as sold to collectors and tumblers.

    A raw piece of tiger's eye, as sold to collectors and tumblers.

    Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon

  3. 03 Cut (step 3 of 4)

    Tiger's eye cabochons, 18 x 25 mm: cut as smooth domes with the fibres parallel to the base, so the band of light rolls across the top.

    Tiger's eye , 18 x 25 mm: cut as smooth domes with the fibres parallel to the base, so the band of light rolls across the top.

    Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon

  4. 04 Set (step 4 of 4)

    A tiger's eye ring in sterling silver.

    A tiger's eye ring in sterling silver.

    Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon

Mineral
Quartz with fibres (altered crocidolite)
Effect
Chatoyancy: a rolling band of light
Hardness
7, tough
Grown in labs
No
Famous source
Northern Cape, South Africa
A tiger's eye specimen showing its fibrous structure: the stone is quartz grown through a mass of mineral fibres.
A tiger's eye specimen showing its fibrous structure: the stone is quartz grown through a mass of mineral fibres. Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Hawk's eye, the blue form, where the original blue fibres were never turned gold.
Hawk's eye, the blue form, where the original blue fibres were never turned gold. Photo: Linas Juozėnas, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Famous tiger's eye in museums

What the finest natural stones look like: real pieces in public collections. The whole gem museum.

A giant tiger’s eye specimen: A mushroom-shaped mass of tiger’s eye with riebeckite and hematite, about 12 cm across, from Atikokan, Ontario.
A giant tiger’s eye specimenA mushroom-shaped mass of tiger’s eye with riebeckite and hematite, about 12 cm across, from Atikokan, Ontario.Private collection (Robert M. Lavinsky)Tiger’s eye is quartz that replaced blue asbestos-like fibres of riebeckite. The fibres were turned gold by iron, which is what makes the light ripple.Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Own a natural piece

NaturalTiger’s eye sphere, 129 mm, 7.28 lbabout $220on Amazon →

The biggest tiger’s eye ball we found on Amazon.

Tiger’s eye, rough and polished: A rough piece beside a polished one, showing how the dull, fibrous rock turns to rolling gold light when it is cut smooth.
Tiger’s eye, rough and polishedA rough piece beside a polished one, showing how the dull, fibrous rock turns to rolling gold light when it is cut smooth.Commons photographMost tiger’s eye comes from the Northern Cape of South Africa, near Griquatown.Photo: Marek Novotnak, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Own a natural piece

NaturalTiger’s eye sphere, 129 mm, 7.28 lbabout $220on Amazon →

The biggest tiger’s eye ball we found on Amazon.

A slab of golden tiger’s eye: A cut and polished slab of tiger’s eye from a geology teaching collection, the golden bands running side by side like silk.
A slab of golden tiger’s eyeA cut and polished slab of tiger’s eye from a geology teaching collection, the golden bands running side by side like silk.Geology teaching collection (GeoDIL)Almost all tiger’s eye comes from Griqualand West in South Africa, where quartz grew threaded with fibres of blue crocidolite. Where the iron in the fibres rusted, the blue turned gold.Photo: Darla Sondrol, CC0.

Own a natural piece

NaturalTiger’s eye sphere, 129 mm, 7.28 lbabout $220on Amazon →

A polished tiger’s eye sphere, 129 mm across.

A tiger’s eye cabochon: A polished dome of tiger’s eye with the bright band that moves as you tilt it.
A tiger’s eye cabochonA polished dome of tiger’s eye with the bright band that moves as you tilt it.Estonian Museum of Natural History, TallinnCut as a dome, the fibres throw a single line of light across the stone, the cat’s eye effect jewellers call chatoyancy.Photo: Tiit Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hawk’s eye, the blue form: A polished slab of blue-grey hawk’s eye from South Africa, labelled in the collection as blue tiger eye.
Hawk’s eye, the blue formA polished slab of blue-grey hawk’s eye from South Africa, labelled in the collection as blue tiger eye.Estonian Museum of Natural History, TallinnHawk’s eye is tiger’s eye before the iron rusted: the original blue fibres are still blue.Photo: Tõnis Saadre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tiger iron from the Hamersley Range: Folded bands of red jasper, black iron and golden tiger’s eye, about 11 cm top to bottom, from Western Australia.
Tiger iron from the Hamersley RangeFolded bands of red jasper, black iron and golden tiger’s eye, about 11 cm top to bottom, from Western Australia.Hamersley Range, Western AustraliaThese bands were laid down on an ancient sea floor more than two billion years ago, when the first oxygen in the oceans rusted the iron out of the water. Then the rock was folded like ribbon.Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0.

Tiger's eye and its relatives

The colours of tiger's eye and what makes them
StoneWhat it is
Golden tiger's eyeQuartz with fibres altered to golden-brown iron oxides
Hawk's eye (blue tiger's eye)The same stone where the blue fibres were not altered
Red tiger's eyeGolden tiger's eye heated, which turns the iron red; common and stable
Tiger ironTiger's eye banded with red jasper and silvery hematite, from Western Australia
Cat's-eye glassFibre-optic glass with very regular stripes; an imitation

Treatments. Much red tiger's eye is golden tiger's eye that has been heated, and some is dyed in other colours or bleached with acid to a honey tone. All of this is cheap and stable, but it should be disclosed. The fibres are fully sealed in quartz, so finished stones are safe to wear; cutters grind raw material wet, because dust from the original fibres should not be breathed. All gem treatments explained.

Where tiger's eye comes from

Pins mark mining districts, not exact mines. Drag to move, pinch or scroll to zoom, tap a pin to read about it. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

List of every place on the map (3)
  • Tiger's eye: Northern Cape (Griqualand West, Prieska), South Africa. The classic source of golden tiger's eye and blue hawk's eye, in ancient banded iron formations along the Orange River.
  • Tiger's eye: Pilbara, Western Australia, Australia. Source of 'tiger iron' and Marra Mamba tiger's eye, banded with red jasper and silver hematite.
  • Tiger's eye: Namibia, Namibia. Tiger's eye and pietersite, its swirling, broken-fibre cousin.

How it is cut

Tiger's eye is cut as cabochons, beads, spheres and carvings. The cutter orients the stone so the fibres run parallel to the base; that makes the band of light sit across the dome and roll as the stone moves. Cut the wrong way, the stone shows dull stripes instead. See cuts from easiest to hardest and whether cutting your own is cheaper than buying cut.

What to buy

Checked in stock on October 10, 2026. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

All 7 checked tiger's eye picks

See them all For women 2For men 3Beads 2Raw and display 1
Carnelian, another chalcedony-family stoneGem treatments explained

The giants: the biggest tiger's eye you can buy

The heaviest and largest pieces we found on Amazon, all checked in stock on October 11, 2026. Weights and sizes are the listings' own. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

Giant piecesTiger's eye sphere, 129 mm, 7.28 lbFive inches across: the biggest tiger's eye ball we found. Turn it and the gold bands roll.about $220on Amazon →Giant piecesTiger's eye sphere, 118 mm, 5.74 lbabout $210on Amazon →Giant piecesTiger's eye obelisk tower, 450 to 500 gA tall polished point.about $85on Amazon →Giant piecesSkullis blue and gold tiger's eye skull, 2 inCarved from stone with both gold and blue (hawk's eye) bands.about $80on Amazon →Giant piecesFundamental Rockhound tiger's eye rough, 5 lb, South AfricaFive pounds of raw South African tiger's eye, the classic source.about $50on Amazon →Giant piecesHypnotic Gems tiger's eye rough, AAA, 2 lbabout $35on Amazon →Giant piecesTiger's eye sphere with stand, 2.4 to 2.8 inOver 40 ratings: the reliable size.about $45on Amazon →Giant piecesHand-carved tiger’s eye, 2,200 ct (about 440 g)A single carved piece about the weight of a can of soup.about $80on Amazon →Giant piecesTiger’s eye pear carving, 1,500 ctabout $70on Amazon →Giant piecesTiger’s eye sphere, 90 to 100 mmTurn it and the gold band rolls around the ball.about $99on Amazon →Giant piecesSkullis tiger iron skull, 5 in, hand carvedTiger iron: tiger’s eye banded with red jasper and silver hematite.about $169on Amazon →Giant piecesJIC Gem extra large pietersite towerPietersite is tiger’s eye broken up and re-cemented, so the flash swirls like a storm.about $86on Amazon →

The tiger's eye shop: 4 more pieces we trust

Every piece names the real stone and comes from a seller with a record, checked in stock on October 11, 2026. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

MenKAR mens tigers eye ring, sterling silverA heavy carved silver ring with a big golden cabochon. Hundreds of ratings.about $100on Amazon →MenM MOOHAM tigers eye bead bracelet for menThousands of ratings for a plain bead bracelet.about $14on Amazon →BeadsABCGEMS African blue tigers eye beadsThe blue form, coloured by the same crocidolite fibres before they turned golden.about $12on Amazon →BeadsNancybeads golden tigers eye beads, 6 mmTigers eye is cheap and rarely faked, which makes it a good first strand.about $8on Amazon →

Your kit for tiger's eye

Five tools that let you check what you bought (a loupe, a UV torch, locking tweezers, a gem box and a pocket scale), plus a turntable that spins your stone under the light the way jewellers show one. The full collector's kit.

LookGemOro 10x triplet loupeunder $20LookDARKBEAM filtered 365 nm UV flashlightabout $10HandleHonoson locking tweezers, 3 packabout $10StoreTeensery gem display boxes with clear lids, 10 packabout $9ShowComXim motorized turntable, adjustable speed and directionabout $15MeasureGemOro Platinum XP500 pocket scale, 0.01 gabout $40

In short

Tiger's eye is quartz filled with golden fibres that throw a rolling band of light. It comes mostly from South Africa and Western Australia, is never lab-grown, and costs very little. Look for the moving band of light, and know that red tiger's eye is usually heated golden stone.

See our first pick: ZAICUS tiger's eye tumbled stones, 1 lb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is tiger's eye real or man-made?

Real. Tiger's eye is a natural stone, quartz grown through mineral fibres, and it is not made in labs. Imitations are fibre-optic glass, whose stripes are too straight and regular, and dyed stones in unnatural colours.

Is tiger's eye dangerous because of asbestos?

Finished stones are safe: the original fibres are completely sealed inside quartz. Only grinding raw material releases dust, which is why lapidaries cut it wet and with ventilation.

What is the difference between tiger's eye and hawk's eye?

They are the same stone. Hawk's eye is the blue version, where the fibres kept their original blue colour; in golden tiger's eye, iron in the fibres oxidised to brown and gold.

Photo credits

  • tigers-eye-quartz-rough.webp: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • tigers-eye-riebeckite.webp: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • hawks-eye-blue.webp: Linas Juozėnas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Product photos: Amazon listings, via the Amazon Product Advertising (Creators) API.

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