Once upon a time the strikingly unique gemstone Tiger Eye (also known as Tiger’s Eye) was worn by Roman soldiers for good luck and protection in battle. The stone was thought to be all seeing, and many believed that it would help their reflexes and sensory perception.
This gemstone bead, member of the chalcedony quartz family is distinguished by a stunning visual quality known as chatoyancy. This inimitable effect is achieved by a seemingly three dimensional, fibrous mineral structure that seems to shimmer like the eye of a cat. In order to maximize the effect of these beautiful mineral bands, Tiger Eye cuts are carefully angled.
The stone is quite hard, possessing a Mohs hardness of 7, and should be resilient enough to withstand a lifetime of wear. Its colour is not as sturdy when exposed to high temperatures, however, and Tiger Eye is sometimes heat treated gently to become red.
Tiger Eye jewellery beads can be combined with many other jewellery beads, such as Jade , Crystals and stunning gold filled or gold vermeil accent pieces, to create truly unique, eye catching and unforgetable jewellery collections.
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