For some time now Tiger's Eye has been asking to play. Sadly, as each month's research project came and went, I brushed aside the gemstone's request. Instead my ego was allowed to overrule, "there is nothing new to learn, let's discover something we don't know", convincing myself it was ok to ignore this precious stone. After all, Tigers Eye's tale had already been researched once. Ego is always folly.

Imagine my embarrassment and delighted surprise when my studies led me to a brand new discovery concerning Tiger's Eye and its geological story.

A few years ago Peter J. Heaney and Donald M. Fisher from the Department of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University decided they wanted to know more about how minerals morph. They were examining Tiger's Eye specimens under optical and electron microscopes. To their amazement (and all of the geological community) they saw that Quartz had not replaced Crocidolite during the formation process, but instead had actually grown over the fibrous mineral.

Until this eye-opening revelation, Tiger's Eye had been held up as the quintessential example of a psuedomorph gemstone. Where one type of mineral crystal morphs into another crystal as a result of geological influences. German mineralogist Ferdinand Wibel had described a process where Quartz replaces the Crocidolite and transforms the asbestos mineral into Tiger's Eye in 1873. For over 130 years everyone one assumes Wibel's explanation is correct.

Now, every mineralogy chapter on Tiger's Eye must be re-written. Instead of simply morphing from Crocidolite into Quartz, this crystal was subjected tremendous tectonic movements repeatedly during its growth cycle. This immense pressure created fractures forcing the growing minerals towards each other until the Quartz sealed the fracture and grew over the Crocidolite.

However, in order for a Tiger's Eye to completely form, the crystal has to endure at least 20 and as many as 100 different "crack and seal" episodes to fully form one specimen. As the tectonic plates moved during this formation process (the plates were also building mountains at the same time), it created irregular patterns throughout the gem. Recording its own birth story.

Tiger's Eye is found in a variety of colors, all of which originate from the Crocidolite within the gem. This Iron rich silicate begins as a blue mineral. Because of extreme heat during Tiger's Eye growth cycle the Iron frequently oxidizes. This results in the familiar golden color you normally associate with Tiger's Eye. Heavily oxidized specimens will be a very dark red color. The rarest Tiger's Eye are the blue, where the Crocidolite retained its original color, in spite of the geological drama it has endured.

Other colors occur in Tiger's Eye as well. Grayish specimens result from Crocidolite that had very little Iron or lost it during the process. Green specimens were caught somewhere in the middle of the oxidation process, combining gold and blue to create green. It is also possible to find zoned specimens that exhibit two or more of these colors in one stone.

The multiple colors in Tiger's Eye have inspired a number of names for the crystal. Blue Tiger's Eye is frequently referred to as Hawk's Eye; dark red specimens have been called Bull's or Ox's Eye and the green variety is occasionally referred to as Cat's Eye (please note that there are a number Quartz minerals that have been called Cat's Eye).

Cat's eye is a term that is frequently applied to gems and crystals exhibiting a play of light on their surface. Normally light will dance across a stone's in a narrow slit, like a cat's eye. Chatoyancy is the "official" term for this crystalline phenomenon, it comes from a French phrase describing a cat's narrow pupil.

Chatoyancy in Tiger's Eye is produced when light is reflected by the Crocidolite inclusions inside the Quartz. As the gemstone slowly forms during each "crack and seal" event, the Crocidolite and Quartz alternate their growth patterns. This is why the play of light changes and shifts as you move your Tiger's Eye around.

Earth's largest deposits of Tiger's Eye are in the mountains outside Griquatown in South Africa. The earliest specimens came from this region and today it is found in a number of countries including the US, Australia, Canada, India, Namibia and Burma. None of these deposits rival the gems that come from the small mountains rising above Griquatown's plateau.

Tiger's Eye was a valuable and highly prized gem when it first came to market. Even as late as 1873 jewelers were selling the rare stone for around $85 a carat. At first, as larger quantities became available, the mines attempted to manipulate the market hoping to keep prices inflated. Ultimately their efforts failed, owners were just too anxious (or greedy) to get product to the marketplace and prices plummeted. Which means today, everyone can afford this precious jewel.

With its uncanny resemblance to the shimmer in a cat's or hawk's eye, it is no wonder that Tiger's Eye quickly became a popular talisman and power stone. Physicians in the 1700s believed the gem cured the eyes of seeing demons, ghosts and other unpleasant visions. Not by protecting the patient, but by healing their eyes, so the patient no longer saw things that weren't "real".

It was a trusted battle talisman amongst the Roman legions. The gem was frequently carved with Lions and Hawks to insure courage or sure vision during the fury of the fight. You may also find Tiger's Eye a valuable companion during life's complex struggles. Every life, no matter how mundane must face moments that require great courage. Being able to see a situation from a higher perspective, may make it easier for you to make better choices for yourself.

Shimmering reflections from the oxidized Iron gave golden versions of Tiger's Eye an instant reputation for attracting wealth and luck to the owner. You can utilize the crystal in a number of ways to help bring abundance into your life. Create a simple ritual or meditation using your favorite "money tools" (i.e.) green candles, coins, cash, other green crystals, pictures or miniatures of items you'd like to acquire. Place your money tools with your gold Tiger's Eye, and envision how your life with shine with more money (wealth, abundance) than you need.

Blue Tiger's Eye is very effective in combination with meditations for relieving stress. Just imagine all the pressure and heat this blue gem had to endure and still it retains its cool blue hue. You'll find it excellent at helping you to open your Third Eye Chakra and explore your intuitive skills. The Quartz provides light to guide your through dark and unfamiliar landscapes, the Iron rich Crocidolite provides an anchor keeping you connected to home as you journey.

Deep, earthy reds in the Ox's Eye variety have long been associated with fertility energies. Red Tiger's Eye can be a powerful tool for keeping the Base Chakra, healthy, balanced and open to Mother Earth's generous abundance and love. You may also find it the most powerful for creating protective energies. It can provide shielding that is both bright and light from the Quartz content yet is still strong and unyielding because of the Crocidolite's Iron molecules.

Aside from healing ailments of the eye, healers may want to also utilize Tiger's Eye when treating patients with anemia or energy blockages along the Chakra system. It may assist in improving the absorption of Iron into the blood. Use a red and a blue Tiger's Eye together to control the energy flow through the seven Chakra, this will help you pinpoint blockages along the path.

Do you tend to stress about your health? Or just stress yourself sick? Tiger's Eye may prevent the psychosomatic symptoms that a paranoid mind creates when the imagination is running away with your health. The gem brings an inner calm that relieves outward stress from work and relations, helping to create a happier, healthier you.

Pictures of Tiger's Eye