Australian Tiger's Eye Facts, Information and Description

Tiger's Eye is the Planetary stone for Gemini (May 21-Jun. 20) and the accepted gem for the ninth wedding anniversary.

Tiger's eye (tigers eye, tiger eye, tiger iron) is a member of the quartz group of chalcedonies. It is one of the chatoyant gemstones. Chatoyancy exhibits a changeable silky luster as light is reflected within the thin parallel fibrous bands. This effect is due to the fibrous structure of the material.

Tiger iron is composed of tiger's eye, red jasper and black hematite. The rippled wavy bands of color often resemble a scenic view. Marra Mamba is a form of tiger iron found in one area of Australia near Mount Brockman. It is a very rare type of tiger iron that contains shades of red, green, yellow, and blue. This area has been mined out for many years so very little of the "true" marra mamba is available today.

The exceptional looking piece of marra mamba tiger's iron rough from Australia (seen in third image) looks like the evening sun setting behind a mountain range.  It has a greenish cast with shades of brown, golden yellow, red and blue veining.  Because the minerals in this stone are of varying hardness, it is difficult to polish without under cutting.

Tiger's eye is mined in Western Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada, India, Namibia, and Burma.

Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:

Many legends about quartz say that wearing tiger's eye (which is a form of quartz) is beneficial for health and spiritual well being. Legend also says it is a psychic protector, great for business, and an aid to achieving clarity.

Australian Tiger's Eye Jewelry and Cabochons

Designer jewelry made with Australian tiger's eye and a selection of free form cabochons and rough available for custom jewelry designs.

see other Gemini birthstones

Marra mamba rough (click to enlarge)

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