Blue Tiger's Eye: hawk's eye or dyed stone? Nature and care

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Blue tiger's eye refers either to natural blue-grey hawk's eye or, sometimes, to dyed stones. Nature, crocidolite fibres, care and pointers for choosing.

Key points

Colour	blue-grey to blue-black (natural), brighter blue (sometimes dyed), with a silky sheen
Nature	quartz with lightly oxidised crocidolite fibres: hawk's eye
Cause of the blue	the original colour of the crocidolite, kept as long as the iron has not oxidised
Hardness (Mohs)	about 6.5 to 7
Density	about 2.6 to 2.7
Names	hawk's eye, blue tiger's eye, eye stone; depending on the seller
Possible treatments	dyeing or lightening; heating mentioned by some sellers, not confirmed
Traditional correspondences	throat chakra or third eye, air element, depending on the authors

What is blue tiger's eye?

Blue tiger's eye is the blue form of tiger's eye, more precisely called hawk's eye (œil de faucon in French). Tiger's eye is quartz containing crocidolite fibres, a blue amphibole (see tiger's eye). When the iron in these fibres is only slightly oxidised, the stone keeps its original colour, a blue-grey to blue-black; when it oxidises, the stone turns golden, then brown. Hawk's eye is therefore the least altered form of the same rock. See the page hawk's eye.

Sellers do not always use the same words: some reserve 'hawk's eye' for natural blue-grey pieces and 'blue tiger's eye' for pieces of a brighter blue, sometimes treated. The name therefore does not tell you whether the colour is natural: ask.

Natural or dyed: why the question matters

The natural blue of hawk's eye is subdued: a dark grey-blue with a silvery sheen. A tiger's eye of a bright, uniform blue has a good chance of having been dyed. A jewellers' forum also mentions a blue tiger's eye that was in fact a heated golden stone, but this is an isolated anecdote that we could not confirm. Other treatments exist for tiger's eye in general: acid lightening, heating (for red), dyeing.

We have not found a reliable public test for detecting a blue dye. Rely on the visual clues (see below) and, for a valuable piece, a gemmological laboratory. A dye is not a fault if it is declared: see how to read a label.

Safety: crocidolite fibres

The fibres in the stone are crocidolite, a variety of asbestos (blue asbestos). A study by Penn State (Heaney and Fisher, 2003) showed that these fibres are still present in the stone and that they produce the chatoyancy. In hawk's eye, the least transformed form, they are the most 'fresh'.

Polished stone, worn or placed: as far as we know, there is no particular risk from normal use of an intact stone.
Cutting, sanding, sawing, drilling: to be avoided, as fibres may be released. If you work the stone, do it under water, with a suitable filter mask and good ventilation.
Broken or badly damaged stone: keep it in a sealed bag.
Elixir and mouth: never; keep an eye on children (risk of swallowing).

Traditional symbolism

The blue-grey and the silvery sheen, suggesting the eye of a bird of prey, are associated with clear sight, lucidity and discernment. Many authors make it a stone of perspective and stepping back. Tiger's eye has also long been worn against the evil eye in several regions.

These are symbols and traditions, with no scientific proof. The stone does not replace medical advice or psychological support.

Traditional correspondences

Area	Correspondence cited
Chakra	throat, or third eye
Element	air
Signs	Gemini, Aquarius, Libra (very variable)
Keywords	clear sight, lucidity, perspective

See the throat chakra and the third eye.

How to use it

In beads and bracelets: the dark blue goes well with many outfits (bracelets).
As a cabochon: pendant or ring; the sheen stands out on a polished dome (jewellery guide).
As a tumbled stone: a pebble to hold or to place on a desk.
For meditation: following the reflection as it glides across the stone is an exercise in attention (tutorial).

Care and cleansing

Cleaning: lukewarm water, mild soap, soft cloth.
Sunlight: a natural stone does not mind a brief exposure; if the colour is dyed, avoid prolonged sun and strong heat.
Products: avoid alcohol, solvents and acids, which can remove a dye.
Knocks: hard but brittle; store it separately.
Salt: to be avoided if the stone is dyed.
Symbolic cleansing: smoke, sound or moonlight (guide).

Recognising a natural hawk's eye and a dyed blue

Sign	More likely natural	To question
Colour	grey-blue, blue-black, uneven shades	bright, uniform blue
Sheen	clear band that glides across the stone	no sheen: glass or resin
Cracks	same colour inside the cracks	colour concentrated along the cracks
Fibres	fine and parallel under a loupe	no fibres, repeated pattern

Fibre-optic glass sometimes imitates tiger's eye. For other pointers, see real or fake stone and our commitments (nature of the stone and indicative photos). For a valuable piece, only a gemmological laboratory can give a definitive answer.

How to choose

A natural grey-blue hawk's eye is somewhat more sought after than golden tiger's eye, especially when the sheen is strong. A very cheap, bright blue is often dyed, which is not a fault if the label says so. Look for a subdued colour, a clear sheen and a seller who explains where the stone comes from.

Pairings: with golden tiger's eye, red tiger's eye for the full range, or sodalite.