As a gemstone enthusiastic, you may sometime play around and want to know how gemstones usually got their name(s). Every gemstone name has an interesting story or an incident behind. When we discuss about tiger eye beads, perhaps this invokes a different feeling in you, and you start thinking what a name! Even gemstones contain such striking names as “tiger eye”. Yes, as the name advocates, tiger eye beads do contain some resemblance with the color patterns of a tiger’s eye. If you look it closely you may possibly notice that it has some resemblance with hawk’s eye as well. But it may force you to think how come this unusual shade which resembles tiger eye. In reality due to the presence of crocidolite which has oxidized, helps in creating an awesome brown hue.
Claim it a tiger’s eye, tiger eye or tiger iron, this gemstone belongs to the quartz group of chalcedonies. If you carefully observe you will discover that tigers eye typically include yellow to red-brown shade, including honey color, but the quartz in it contain hue which may be due to the presence of iron oxide. A different fact substantiates that very unusual variety of tiger eye contains shades of red, yellow, green and blue. In majority of cases these colors include designs in the form of lines or bent.
Due to its unusual variety this gemstone has its presence since ancient times. During that time, records indicate that the main usage of this gemstone was in spiritual and astrological form.
But presently this gemstone has found its place in ornamental jewelry and you can see the example of its usage in different types of jewelry like earrings, pendants, rings and necklaces. Although a major part of this gemstone comes from South Africa but other places from where you may come across the jewelry items made from this gemstone include China, Brazil, USA, Canada, India and Burma.
Another popular and rare variety of tiger eye beads, Marra Mamba which contains hue of red, blue, yellow and blue belongs to Australia from a place called Mount Brockman, which effortlessly found its place in modern jewelry. This unusual variety has a charm of its own which displays scenic beauty of the nature like sun setting behind a mountain range. If embedded in jewelry with a style it may provide an awe factor to the people who use it.