Heritage Auctions Presents: Tiger's Eye
A material that is NOT an approved mineral species
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About Tiger's Eye
Colour:
Yellow-brown
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
7
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Common name for a variety of quartz which is chatoyant because of subparallel intergrowth of quartz crystals and altered amphibole fibres that mostly turned into limonite. Much used as an ornamental and lapidary rock. See also Tiger Iron.
Crocidolite is a blue fibrous asbestiform sodic amphibole, which occurs in the iron formations of the Transvaal Supergroup in the Griqualand West region of the Northern Cape. Pseudocrocidolite is a chatoyant golden-yellow fibrous quartz with included subparallel altered crocidolite fibers, known popularly as tiger’s eye, commonly interpreted as m>quartz pseudomorphous after crocidolite. Both minerals were originally collected along the Orange River by German naturalist Martin Hinrich Lichtenstein (1780-1857) in 1803 [Lichtenstein, 1811-12], and first described scientifically by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817) in 1811 [Klaproth at pp. 72-74 and pp.75-76].
A new interpretation of the origin of tiger's eye was recently given by Heaney and Fisher (2003): "Tiger's-eye is an attractive and popular gemstone that is ubiquitous in stores that cater to rock and mineral collectors. For more than a century, textbooks and museum displays have identified the material as an archetype of pseudomorphism, i.e., the replacement of one mineral by another with the retention of the earlier mineral's shape. Our study has revealed that the textures responsible for the shimmer of tiger's-eye do not represent pseudomorphic substitution of quartz after preexisting crocidolite asbestos. Rather, we argue that tiger's-eye classically exemplifies synchronous mineral growth through a crack-seal vein-filling process."
Lichtenstein’s original type specimens, with labels in Klaproth’s handwriting, are still preserved in the mineralogical collection of the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Although the type specimens were collected by Lichtenstein in 1803, the original discovery of tiger’s eye (pseudocrocidolite) was made by the French traveller and ornithologist François Levaillant in 1784.
In Levaillant’s account of his second voyage into the interior of South Africa [Levaillant, 1796], he describes arriving at a large river (the Orange), and finding pebbles along the beach on its banks:
“I also saw one extraordinary stone, to which I cannot yet give a name. It is as large as a nutmeg, has a varying splendor like the opal or cat’s eye, but is of a browner hue, with a gold-coloured belt. It strikes fire with steel. Since my return to Europe, I have sought for such in vain in cabinets and among traders, but I have been able no where to meet with one. Neither the naturalist nor the jeweler knows it. This stone at present is in Holland, in the possession of one of my friends, Raye de Breukelward, and constitutes a part of his valuable collection.” [at p.208].
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Tiger's Eye.
Crocidolite is a blue fibrous asbestiform sodic amphibole, which occurs in the iron formations of the Transvaal Supergroup in the Griqualand West region of the Northern Cape. Pseudocrocidolite is a chatoyant golden-yellow fibrous quartz with included subparallel altered crocidolite fibers, known popularly as tiger’s eye, commonly interpreted as m>quartz pseudomorphous after crocidolite. Both minerals were originally collected along the Orange River by German naturalist Martin Hinrich Lichtenstein (1780-1857) in 1803 [Lichtenstein, 1811-12], and first described scientifically by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817) in 1811 [Klaproth at pp. 72-74 and pp.75-76].
Thin section of tiger's eye in crossed polarized light.
Lichtenstein’s original type specimens, with labels in Klaproth’s handwriting, are still preserved in the mineralogical collection of the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Although the type specimens were collected by Lichtenstein in 1803, the original discovery of tiger’s eye (pseudocrocidolite) was made by the French traveller and ornithologist François Levaillant in 1784.
In Levaillant’s account of his second voyage into the interior of South Africa [Levaillant, 1796], he describes arriving at a large river (the Orange), and finding pebbles along the beach on its banks:
“I also saw one extraordinary stone, to which I cannot yet give a name. It is as large as a nutmeg, has a varying splendor like the opal or cat’s eye, but is of a browner hue, with a gold-coloured belt. It strikes fire with steel. Since my return to Europe, I have sought for such in vain in cabinets and among traders, but I have been able no where to meet with one. Neither the naturalist nor the jeweler knows it. This stone at present is in Holland, in the possession of one of my friends, Raye de Breukelward, and constitutes a part of his valuable collection.” [at p.208].
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Tiger's Eye.Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3960
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3960:0
Physical Properties of Tiger's Eye
Crystallography of Tiger's Eye
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Synonyms of Tiger's Eye
Other Language Names for Tiger's Eye
Varieties of Tiger's Eye
| Blue Tiger's Eye | Blue tiger's eye (silicified crocidolite) in which the included crocidolite fibers have not been altered to limonite. |
| Falcon's Eye | Trade name for a blue variety of Tiger's Eye (in fact unreplaced crocidolite). The blue colour is caused by Fe2+ compared to Fe3+ in the (oxidised) yellow/brown Tiger's Eye. Heaney & Fisher (2003): "Tiger's-eye is an attractive and popular gemstone that ... |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 9 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| 5 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Riebeckite | ◻[Na2][Fe2+3Fe3+2]Si8O22(OH)2 |
| 3 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Falcon's Eye | |
| 3 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Crocidolite | ◻[Na2][Z2+3Fe3+2]Si8O22(OH,F,Cl)2 |
| 2 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Ironstone | |
| 2 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Chert | |
| 2 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Jasper | |
| 2 photos of Tiger's Eye associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 1 photo of Tiger's Eye associated with Tiger Iron | |
| 1 photo of Tiger's Eye associated with Petrified Wood |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Tiger's Eye
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3960.html
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References for Tiger's Eye
Reference List:
Heaney, Peter J., Fisher, Donald M. (2003) New interpretation of the origin of tiger's-eye. Geology, 31 (4) 323 doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0323:niotoo>2.0.co;2
Heaney, Peter J.; Fisher, Donald M. (2004) New interpretation of the origin of tiger's-eye: Comment and Reply. Geology, 32 (1). e45 doi:10.1130/0091-7613-32.1.e45
Gutzmer, Jens; Beukes, Nicolas J.; Cairncross, Bruce (2004) New interpretation of the origin of tiger's-eye: Comment and Reply: COMMENT. Geology, 32 (1). e44-e45 doi:10.1130/0091-7613-32.1.e44
Rasmeni, S., Chetty, D., Sebola, P., Seripe, K. (2016) Tiger's eye in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa - grading, distribution, small-scale mining, and beneficiation potential. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 116 (6). 587-592 doi:10.17159/2411-9717/2016/v116n6a15
Localities for Tiger's Eye
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Red icons have coordinates entered into the system directly. Green icons have coordinates estimated by the system and may also display a blue margin of error circle around them. White icons are shown in certain pages to distinguish the locality in question from nearby localities. When multiple icons are close together they may be clustered into a group represented by a green circle, click to reveal the contents.| Name: | " + data.success.data.mapData[0].name + " |
|---|---|
| Lithology: | " + data.success.data.mapData[0].lith+" |
| Age: | "+ from.int_name; if(to = data.success.data.mapData[0].t_int) { if(from.int_name!=to.int_name) out+=" to " + to.int_name; } out+=" ("+from.b_age+" - "; if(to) { out+= to.t_age; } else out+=from.t_age; out+=" Ma) |
| Reference: | "; if(ref.url) out+=""; out+=ref.name; if(ref.ref_year) out+=" ("+ref.ref_year+") "; if(ref.ref_source) out+=", "+ref.ref_source; out+=" |
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Matthew Goodwin |
| Kim Macdonald |
| self-collected samples from south end ... |
| J M Bennett Collection |
| Fetherstone et al 2013: Gemstones of WA |
China | |
| ... |
Namibia | |
| M Kampf collection +1 other reference |
South Africa | |
| Mason (1976) +1 other reference | |
| P.F. Ledwaba (2014) |
| P.F. Ledwaba (2014) |
| P.F. Ledwaba (2014) | |
| Alessandro Cantamessa photo ID 202250 | |
| mb-minerals.de +2 other references | |
UK | |
| Golley et al. (1995) |
USA | |
| Galbraith (1959) +1 other reference |
| Gobla (2012) |
Prieska, Siyathemba Local Municipality, Pixley ka Seme District Municipality, Northern Cape, South Africa