Tiger Eye Crystal

Tiger eye bracelets, angel figurines and crystal balls. Ten products in this collection. The everyday favourite is the tiger eye bracelet (8mm); read our tiger eye bracelet guide before you choose.

About the stone

Tiger eye is quartz with an optical effect called chatoyancy — the silky band of light that slides across the surface as you turn it. It forms when parallel fibres of an earlier mineral, crocidolite, are replaced by silica while keeping their fibrous structure; light reflecting off those parallel fibres is what produces the moving band. The gold-brown colour comes from iron oxide in the fibres. Blue tiger eye, sometimes sold as hawk's eye, is the same stone at an earlier stage of that replacement. Most tiger eye on the market comes from South Africa and Western Australia.

Dyed red tiger eye is common; heat-treated red also exists. If a piece is an unnaturally uniform red, assume treatment.

Traditional associations

Tiger eye is traditionally the stone kept for steadiness and focus, and it has long been worn as a travelling or working stone. That is the tradition it is sold in, not a claim about what it does.

Care

Quartz is hard, around 7 on the Mohs scale, so tiger eye wears well. Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Keep it out of prolonged strong sunlight, which can fade the golden colour over months, and away from perfume and hand sanitiser on a bracelet's beads.

Tiger Eye FAQs

Is tiger eye good for men?

Yes. It is one of the most popular men's crystal bracelets for its earthy look and durability. Women wear it too.

How do I know tiger eye is original?

Turn a bead under light: real tiger eye shows a band of light that moves. Glass imitations show a fixed, very even stripe.

Which hand should I wear tiger eye on?

The right wrist is traditional for confidence; the left for grounding. Either is fine.

What this is, and what it isn't

Tiger eye is a fibrous variety of quartz. Crystals have a long place in tradition and in ritual practice, and that is the spirit in which we sell them. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that any stone treats, cures or prevents a medical condition, changes your finances, or alters the physical energy of a room. Nothing on this page is medical, psychological or financial advice.