All about Tiger's Eye!

•What is tiger’s eye?
Tiger’s eye is a translucent to opaque form of quartz known for the band of white that appears in the center of tiger’s eye stones that are cut into cabochons. Even though they are often confused with each other, tiger’s eye is not the same as cat’s eye.

•Where is tiger’s eye found?
Tiger’s eye is found in Sri Lanka, India, Brazil, Australia, and the United States.

•Color
Tiger’s eye occurs naturally in a range of browns, including golden-brown, yellowish-brown, and reddish-brown. It also occurs in a black variety and occasionally in a bluish form. The dark honey-brown with black stripes is a very popular form of tiger’s eye, and is often used in men’s jewelry such as cufflinks and tie tacks.

•Shape
Tiger’s eye is rarely, if ever cut into the faceted gemstone shapes. It is almost always cut into cabochons (to highlight the “eye” effect), cut and polished into beads, and carved into figurines.

•Durability
Tiger’s eye is a 7 on the Mohs Scale and can be worn under most circumstance with relatively safety. It can be cut and polished with ease and its cabochon shape (which usually mandates that the stone be set into a protective bezel) gives it protection against girdle chips and fractures common to faceted gemstones.

•Quality
Due to its opaque nature, the quality of tiger’s eye is determined by the beauty and distinctiveness of its “eye” and the appeal and uniformity of its color. It is a relatively inexpensive gemstone so fine color specimens are readily available. As always when you’re considering the purchase of a gemstone for which a “Quality Scale” (as exists for diamonds, etc.) does not apply, the visual appeal of a stone should be your guiding light.

•Legend and lore
Tiger’s eye is reputed to be able to soften personal stubbornness, if that is a dominant trait of the wearer. It is also reported to facilitate the relaxation response, and allow people who are wound a little too tight to “unwind.”

•Care
You can clean tiger’s eye in standard jewelry cleaner, but do not soak it too long. In fact, the safest way to clean it would be to swish it around in the cleaner, give it a good brushing, and then rinse it well under warm water. This should brighten it up and allow the beauty of the “eye” to be seen.