Red Tiger's Eye beads

Hardness: 6.5-7 on Mohs scale; Color: Reddish-brown to dark red, often with parallel bands of chatoyant, golden-brown or black; Luster: Silky to vitreous; Crystal Structure: Cryptocrystalline (fibrous aggregates of quartz); Cleavage: None, generally conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.64-2.71

Red Tiger's Eye, also known as "Ox Eye," is formed when regular golden-brown Tiger's Eye, which itself is formed from altered crocidolite (asbestos) fibers replaced by chalcedony, undergoes natural or artificial heat treatment. The heat causes the iron within the stone to oxidize, changing its color from golden to a rich red or reddish-brown. It is found in deposits that are typically Precambrian to Paleozoic in age, occurring as parallel veins in chatoyant quartz. The geological age of the original tiger's eye formation is often hundreds of millions of years old.

Primarily used as a gemstone in jewelry, including beads (as seen), cabochons, carved ornaments, and spheres. It is also collected by mineral enthusiasts. Historically, Tiger's Eye was believed to be an amulet against curses and bad wishes, and to bring good luck and protection to the wearer. In modern metaphysical beliefs, Red Tiger's Eye is associated with motivation, passion, and grounding.

The chatoyancy, or 'cat's eye effect,' in Tiger's Eye is caused by the fibrous structure of the original crocidolite mineral that has been replaced by quartz, along with the presence of iron oxides. When the stone is cut and polished, these fibers reflect light in a single band, creating the striking optical phenomenon. While some Red Tiger's Eye occurs naturally due to intense heat near magmatic intrusions, most of the red variety found commercially is heat-treated Golden Tiger's Eye. Other varieties include Blue Tiger's Eye (Hawk's Eye) and Golden Tiger's Eye.

In the field, raw Tiger's Eye appears as fibrous, banded veins in rock formations. To identify Red Tiger's Eye specifically, look for the deep reddish-brown color combined with the characteristic chatoyancy when light reflects off its surface. It's often found in metamorphic rocks. Major sources include South Africa, Australia, India, and the USA (California). For collectors, identifying natural vs. heat-treated Red Tiger's Eye can be challenging without specialized testing, but both forms are popular. The beads in the image clearly show the reddish color and the fibrous, chatoyant band characteristic of Red Tiger's Eye, indicative of polished gemstone material.