Tiger's Eye

Tiger’s Eye is a quartz composite; it begins as a fibrous blue crocidolite (which is comprised of sodium and iron) and as the quartz becomes embedded between the fibers the transformation begins…Hawk’s Eye is the gemstone formed first, then as the process progresses and further quartz is embedded it becomes Tiger’s Eye.  During the process the sodium and iron is dissolved, traces of hydrated oxide from the iron are left behind and the quartz takes on the fibrous formations as well as the blue hue of the crocidolite; this is what creates the parallel lines within these gemstones.  Tiger Eye is found in only one place in South Africa, very near many of the diamond mines. It is said that there are mountains just outside of Griquatown that are made up almost entirely of Tiger’s Eye.