Rough Tigers Eye Mineral
Unpolished tigers eye stone from South Africa.
This chunky piece exhibits distinctive colours and patterns and is slightly chatoyant. This optical phenomenon is enhanced when the stone is polished.
When tigers eye is magnified its fibrous structure becomes more visible. Chatoyance is caused as light reflects off these parallel fibres.
Most of the world's tigers eye comes from Griqualand West in the Northern Cape, South Africa. This region is also famous for the Kimberley diamond mine.
Australia and the USA also export large quantities of tigers eye. Smaller quantities can be found in several countries around the world. It has even been reported to have been found in Kynance Cove, Landewednack, Cornwall UK.
