metamorphic

Polished golden-brown banded stone, likely tiger’s eye

Tiger’s eye (quartz with fibrous crocidolite pseudomorphs; SiO₂)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Golden to ochre bands with dark seams and a silky chatoyant sheen; quartz hardness 7 Mohs, trigonal crystal structure, no prominent cleavage, specific gravity about 2.6. The image appears to show a cut or polished slab, though the exact stone is uncertain from appearance alone.

Identified September 23, 2026More metamorphic →

Explore Polished golden-brown banded stone, likely tiger’s eye in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms when silica replaces fibrous crocidolite during low-grade alteration, preserving its banded structure; many commercial specimens come from South Africa and western Australia. The age depends on the host deposit.

Uses & applications

Used for cabochons, beads, decorative slabs, and carvings; polished material is valued for its shifting reflective bands.

Geological facts

Tiger’s eye’s moving, cat-like band of light is called chatoyancy and results from aligned fibers.

Field identification & locations

Look for parallel golden-brown bands and a silky light stripe that shifts when the stone is tilted; a smooth, flat slab cut does not show enough detail for confident identification. Common sources include South Africa, Australia, India, and Namibia.