gemstone

Polished tiger’s-eye (likely brecciated or iron-stained)

Quartz, SiO₂, with crocidolite pseudomorphs and iron oxides

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness about 6.5–7 Mohs; brown-gold to black, vitreous to silky luster, opaque, with possible chatoyancy (cat’s-eye sheen). Quartz has a trigonal crystal structure and no cleavage; the specimen is polished and irregularly shaped.

Identified August 13, 2026More gemstone →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms when fibrous blue asbestos (crocidolite) is replaced by quartz, with iron oxidation producing golden-brown colors. Commonly Precambrian in age, especially in altered rocks of South Africa and Western Australia.

Uses & applications

Used for cabochons, beads, carvings, and small decorative stones; occasionally collected as a lapidary specimen.

Geological facts

The golden bands result from aligned fibrous inclusions reflecting light, creating chatoyancy. A strongly oriented light source should reveal a moving bright band across the surface.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its brown-gold silky bands, opaque appearance, glassy polish, and hardness; common localities include South Africa, Western Australia, India, and Namibia. This example may also contain darker hematite or jasper, so exact identification from the image is approximate.