Tiger Eye layers
These two pieces of Tiger's Eye (courtesy of SWMBO's jewellery stock) show the characteristic layers created by the deposition of dissolved minerals in quartz rock containing some crocidolite cracks.
Quartz begins to grow on the crack surface, while crocidolite fibres begin to grow from pieces of crocidolite that are on the crack surface. The crack area fills with new material and then the rock cracks again, usually in a sliding motion along the existing crack surface because it is weaker than other areas.
This process forms bands of quartz with diagonal, discontinuous crocidolite fibres creating what is known as Hawk's Eye. After some of the iron in the crocidolite oxidises, the material becomes the familiar shades of brown and gold of Tiger's Eye.
Each stone is 16mm by 12mm.
Tiger Eye layers
These two pieces of Tiger's Eye (courtesy of SWMBO's jewellery stock) show the characteristic layers created by the deposition of dissolved minerals in quartz rock containing some crocidolite cracks.
Quartz begins to grow on the crack surface, while crocidolite fibres begin to grow from pieces of crocidolite that are on the crack surface. The crack area fills with new material and then the rock cracks again, usually in a sliding motion along the existing crack surface because it is weaker than other areas.
This process forms bands of quartz with diagonal, discontinuous crocidolite fibres creating what is known as Hawk's Eye. After some of the iron in the crocidolite oxidises, the material becomes the familiar shades of brown and gold of Tiger's Eye.
Each stone is 16mm by 12mm.