Identification guide · Quartz Family
How to Identify Tiger's Eye
Tiger's Eye is usually golden brown, yellow, and red with a silky luster and is opaque. It has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Its streak is white. It is most often confused with Jasper, Fire Agate, and Quartz; the tests below separate them.
Tiger's Eye identification checklist
| Color | Golden Brown, Yellow, Red | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Silky | Compare a fresh surface with glass and metal; this luster is softer than either. |
| Transparency | Opaque | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 7 | It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Fibrous | |
| Specific gravity | 2.65 | Ordinary rock-like heft (specific gravity about 2.65), similar to quartz. |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
Tiger's Eye look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Tiger's Eye vs Jasper →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Tiger's Eye vs Fire Agate →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Tiger's Eye vs Quartz →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Is my Tiger's Eye real?
- Hardness: real Tiger's Eye sits at Mohs 7. Glass imitations are about 5.5, so genuine Tiger's Eye scratches glass while a glass fake cannot.
- Bubbles: round gas bubbles under a 10x loupe mean glass or resin, never a natural stone.
- Color: dyed material concentrates color in cracks and pores; look for pigment collecting at the edges of fractures.
- Temperature: natural crystals feel cool and take longer to warm in your hand than plastic or resin.
Field tips
- Check whether the specimen's color and texture match typical Tiger's Eye examples.
- Use hardness, streak, luster, grain size, and locality together; no single trait is enough for every specimen.
Tiger's Eye identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Tiger's Eye?
Check the color (golden brown, yellow, and red), the silky luster, a Mohs hardness of 7 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Tiger's Eye?
Tiger's Eye has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Tiger's Eye and Jasper?
Tiger's Eye (Mohs 7, silky luster) and Jasper (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Tiger's Eye vs Jasper comparison for a side-by-side table.
How do I know if my Tiger's Eye is real?
Real Tiger's Eye matches the hardness listed above, shows no round gas bubbles under magnification, and does not concentrate dye in cracks. Glass and resin fakes fail at least one of those checks.
Is Tiger's Eye worth anything?
Entry-level Tiger's Eye specimens sell for around $5, typical collector pieces about $20, and premium examples $100 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Tiger's Eye?
Tiger's Eye is most often golden brown, yellow, and red. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
