Tiger Eye Slabs from South Africa

These (Golden) Tiger Eye slabs come from South Africa.  Tiger Eye has long been considered a quartz replacement of asbestos, otherwise known as a pseudomorph.  (The asbestos is gone so it’s harmless to cut!) Later research into the origins of tiger eye shows it is actually not a pseudomorph.

The fibrous structure of tiger eye creates chatoyance and also gives it a definite grain structure.  Because of the grain, you have to be careful that it doesn’t tear out when grinding and polishing.

It will take a nice polish with cerium oxide, tin oxide, or diamond.