# Tiger's Eye

Tiger's Eye is a golden brown stone that looks like a tiger's eye! It shines brightly in the light.

- **Category:** [Mineral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mineral)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Also known as:** Tiger Eye

![Tiger's Eye](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426951/objects/5387.jpg)

## Appearance

The Tiger's Eye has striking golden-yellow to reddish-brown stripes that shimmer and move like a cat's eye when tilted. This unique optical effect, called chatoyancy, makes it distinct from other striped minerals.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Roman soldiers carried Tiger's Eye for courage and protection in battle.
- It can naturally form with a blue color, known by the cool name of Hawk's Eye!
- It forms as crocidolite mineral fibers slowly turn into quartz, keeping their original shape!
- Tilting Tiger's Eye makes its shiny band "move," just like a big cat's eye pupil!

## Special abilities

- **Shimmering Stripes:** Tiger's Eye's fibrous quartz structure makes light reflect in a dazzling, moving band, creating its unique "cat's eye" effect.
- **Color Changer:** Tiger's Eye contains iron. Gentle heating makes it turn a deeper reddish-brown, creating new vibrant shades for cutting.
- **Durable Beauty:** Its Mohs hardness of 6.5-7 makes Tiger's Eye very durable, resisting scratches and wear in jewelry.

## Measurements & details

- **Color Range:** golden-yellow, brown, reddish-brown, blue-grey
- **Hardness:** 6.5
- **Luster:** silky
- **Specific Gravity:** 2.68
- **Crystal System:** trigonal

## Traits

- [Banded](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/banded): Banded describes rocks or minerals characterized by distinct parallel layers or streaks of differing composition, color, or texture.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Gemstone](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gemstone): A gemstone is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut and polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments.
- [Crystalline](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/crystalline): Crystalline describes a mineral or rock composed of crystals, often exhibiting a regular atomic structure and geometric external form.

## Collections

- [Minerals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/minerals)
- [Minerals & Rocks](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/minerals-and-rocks)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Handle gently and avoid sharp edges. Ask an adult before picking anything up.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Tiger's Eye?

Compare crystal habit, luster, transparency, cleavage and surface texture. Minerals with different compositions can share almost the same color. Mineral Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What colors can Tiger's Eye be?

golden-yellow, brown, reddish-brown, blue-grey

### How hard is Tiger's Eye?

6.5

### What kind of luster does Tiger's Eye have?

silky

### What is Tiger's Eye's specific gravity?

2.68

### What crystal system does Tiger's Eye belong to?

trigonal

## More Mineral

- [Quartz Crystal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/quartz-crystal)
- [Amethyst](https://www.snappit.app/explore/amethyst)
- [Rose Quartz](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rose-quartz)
- [Citrine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/citrine)

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Source: [Tiger's Eye: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-s-eye)