The Westport Library Resource Guides: Tiger's Eye: Healing Stones

Mineral Composition

Tigereye, also spelled Tiger’s-eye, is a semiprecious quartz gem displaying chatoyancy, a vertical luminescent band like that of a cat’s eye. Veins of parallel, blue asbestos (crocidolite) fibres are first altered to iron oxides and then replaced by silica. The gem has a rich yellow to yellow-brown or brown colour and, when polished, a fine golden lustre. The best stones come from Griqualand West, S.Af. Hawk’s-eye is similar to tigereye, except that the crocidolite was replaced by quartz before altering to iron oxide; it therefore retains the gray-blue or green of the asbestos. Continue reading from Encyclopedia Britannica

Historical Uses

From the big cat lands of South Africa, the spice islands and tumbling tea plantations of India, and the arid endless outback of Western Australia, Tiger’s Eye is mined in places where heat, dry air and a sense of wilderness runs rampant. It is formed by altering crocidolite, maintains its mineral rich moods, and takes its golden orb color scheme from iron oxide. In the 16th century, Tigers Eye was so rare it was considered to be an element so precious, its worth was so much higher than gold.

The stories behind Tiger’s Eye says that the Egyptians fell hard for the iridescent rays of the Tiger Eye Stone, they believed that it expressed divine vision and would even use it as a stone to represent the eyes when creating great deities. It was also used as a protective amulet on the breastplates of roman soldiers in battle.

The origins of the gemstone's name are no accident and go further than a simple reference to a color scheme. The tiger is the true queen of the jungle: strong, courageous, and ever ready to pounce. The spirit of the tiger is a reminder of the importance of primal instincts and accepting the shadow self to slink out of the jungle and stand in the light. It nudges people to accept all angles of themselves; from playful pose to predator and protector, because life is unpredictable and personal strength is needed to flourish. Continue reading from Tiny Rituals

Metaphysical Properties

Tiger's eye helps to expand awareness and personal strength, increasing the ability to see new ideas and solutions and a sense of protection. It can assist in seeing the world in a more positive, optimistic way. Like the fire element in feng shui, it can bring light to situations, helping us see things more clearly.

Also, like the fire element, tiger's eye can assist us in shining more brightly so that we can be seen and recognized more significantly. Tiger's eye is a beneficial stone for confidence, taking action, and moving forward toward your goals. It can help you find the courage and motivation to step out of your comfort zone and into new situations and opportunities, helping you reach your fullest potential.

Tiger's eye is connected to both the sun and the earth. From a feng shui perspective, the sun is connected to the fire element and the earth is connected to the earth element. Tiger's eye can harmonize fire element qualities, like inspiration and passion, with earth element qualities, like stability and grounding, to create balance. The stone's healing properties are mainly for correcting balance and giving fortitude and courage to make big decisions and necessary life changes.

Golden tiger’s eye is especially helpful when you want to take action from a more logical place rather than from your emotions. This makes it a great stone to work with when you know you will have to make decisions and don’t want your feelings to cloud your judgment. It’s also a protective stone, boosting your ability to pay attention to the details. Continue reading from The Spruce