Tiger eye is a popular and quite unique material. It consists of compact fibers of quartz. The stone has a strong sheen and has a silky appearance due to reflection of light from these fibers. Tiger eye jewelry is quite popular today, although not as popular when compared to other types of gemstone jewelry. Its appearance could be described as shimmering bands of light and the variations in its color density sometimes produces what is called a cat’s eye. Coloration will vary from brown to brownish-yellow to blue to blue-green.

Although used with more frequency a few decades ago, the material is still a popular choice in the making of Native American jewelry. The beauty of the stone is unique in the ability of its silky interior to iridesce as the stone is rotated in light. Tiger eye is often dyed other colors such as red, yellow, blue and green. The process produces attractive colors but they do not occur naturally. Tiger eye jewelry will most frequently be found in the southwestern region of the United States and examples will often include these dyed variations of colors.