metamorphic

Polished tiger’s-eye cabochon

Tiger’s-eye (quartz, SiO₂, with fibrous crocidolite-derived inclusions)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Golden-brown, polished and opaque, with a silky sheen and possible chatoyancy. Quartz has Mohs hardness 7 and a trigonal crystal structure; the cabochon’s hardness and specific gravity cannot be confirmed from the image.

Identified September 25, 2026More metamorphic →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms when silica replaces fibrous crocidolite during alteration, preserving its structure and producing the characteristic bands. Deposits are especially associated with South Africa’s Cape Province; the specimen’s age is not identifiable from the image.

Uses & applications

Commonly cut into cabochons for jewelry and ornaments; also collected as a decorative gemstone.

Geological facts

Its shifting, cat’s-eye-like band of reflected light is called chatoyancy, from the French for “cat’s eye.”

Field identification & locations

Look for golden-brown bands and a silky band of light that shifts as the stone moves; the polished surface obscures field-identification clues. The pictured specimen appears to be a small, shaped cabochon.