Blue Tiger Eye History, Meaning, Properties, Benefits & How To Use

​Introduction

There are tons of crystals out there that are used to make gemstone jewelry. As you go out to explore jewelry, you will find numerous stones that are closely related to each other. If you go deeper, you will find that these are, in simple words, varieties of the same mineral. For instance, have you seen tiger eye jewelry? One of the gemstones closely related to the tiger eye is the blue tiger eye stone – you will find many jewelers crafting blue tiger eye jewelry from this stone.

Blue tiger eye gemstone, which is also called Falcon’s Eye or Hawk’s Eye, is a unique and captivating gemstone that is known for its charming appearance and healing properties. Blue tiger eye is a quartz mineral and it comes under the category of semi-precious stones. This crystal is related to tiger eye stone, and you can distinguish the blue tiger eye by its distinctive blue-green to blue-gray coloration and its ability to exhibit chatoyancy.

We will discuss many things about the blue tiger eye stone in this blog, such as what it is, what its chemical and physical properties are, the history of this stone, and so on and so forth. Let us begin with the first question you must be having in your mind – what is blue tiger eye?

​What is Blue Tiger Eye Stone?

The blue tiger eye gemstone is a bluish-green to bluish-grey stone that is made up of microcrystalline quartz, or in other words, chalcedony. But it is different from most of the chalcedonies – the blue tiger eye is gemologically classified as a rock and not a mineral. Blue Tiger Eye is created in nature as a result of pseudomorphosis. What is pseudomorphosis? Well, it is a stone replacing a part of another mineral over a long period of time. When microcrystalline quartz goes through pseudomorphosis, blue tiger eye is created. Basically, in this process, the mineral crocidolite slowly transforms into Hawk’s eye over a long period of time.

The reason why the blue tiger eye stone is such a captivating stone is because it displays a beautiful optical effect, chatoyancy, because of which the stone resembles the eye of a hawk which has a focused and sharp gaze. In the blue tiger eye gemstone, chatoyancy is also called “hawk’s eye shimmer” or “hawk’s eye effect,” and it occurs as a result of the parallel arrangement of asbestos fibers within the stone. In a properly cut and polished cabochon of blue tiger eye, you will observe that these asbestos fibers reflect light in such a way that a beautiful bright band of light seems to move across the surface of the stone. This results in the stone having the appearance of a luminous eye, which is one of the main reasons why blue tiger eye jewelry is so popular in the market.

​History of Blue Tiger Eye Gemstone

The Blue Tiger Eye stone had a significant mark in history and looking back on ancient times, it had a variety of uses. While there is not much historical record of this stone as other gemstones (such as opal, turquoise, Citrine, and amethyst), yet it had a special place in various cultures and traditions all around the world. Below are some interesting mentions of the blue tiger eye in history.

1. Ancient Egypt: In the times of the past, the Egyptians used certain gemstones such as the Blue Tiger Eye for their protective attributes and healing properties. They used the blue tiger eye in the form of amulets, and gemstone jewelry, and they also used this stone in burial practices. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the blue tiger eye had strong protective properties, and could safeguard an individual from all types of curses and evil eyes. They even incorporated the stone in many of their rituals and practices.

2. Roman and Greek Beliefs: In the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations, each gemstone had a symbolic meaning and these stones were often associated with a particular deity. Although there is no historical record of the blue tiger eye gemstone, the archaeological findings hint that this gemstone was highly appreciated for its aesthetic appeal and also for its mystical qualities.

3. Chinese Culture: Traditional Chinese medicine uses blue tiger eye stone for its healing properties. This gemstone is also famous in China because it is mentioned in various folklore. Also, because of the energy-balancing effects of this stone, it is used in acupressure and acupuncture.

​Physical and Chemical Properties of Blue Tiger Eye Stone

The blue tiger eye stone showcases a range of physical and chemical properties. Here are some of them:

1. Chemical Composition: Primarily made up of SiO2 or silicon dioxide, blue tiger eye has the same chemical makeup as that of quartz. The presence of iron impurities in the blue tiger eye is the cause of its blue-gray to blue-green coloration.

2. Color: The blue tiger eye gemstone showcases bluish-gray to bluish-green color.

3. Luster: The blue tiger eye gemstone possesses a silky to vitreous luster, and this depends on the grade of the stone and the stone’s polish.

4. Transparency: Generally, the blue tiger eye stone is opaque, which is why light does not pass through this stone. However, because the blue tiger eye displays chatoyancy, it exhibits a certain level of translucency when (the stone) is viewed from different angles.

5. Hardness: On the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness, blue tiger eye gemstone ranges between 6.5 to 7, which is why it is considered a quite durable stone and is perfect for making sturdy gemstone jewelry.

6. Chatoyancy: When light strikes the surface of the blue tiger eye gemstone, it reflects off the parallelly aligned needle-like inclusions (the inclusions being crocidolite fibers), thus creating a bright, moving band of light. This is how the blue tiger eye displays chatoyancy.

​Conclusion

Blue tiger eye gemstone is a captivating and beautiful stone. You will find a wide variety of blue tiger eye jewelry at various E-commerce websites. One such E-commerce giant that sells a huge variety of gemstone jewelry and 925 sterling silver jewelry is Sagacia Jewelry. Sagacia Jewelry is an esteemed company that deals in a wide variety of gemstone jewelry such as blue tiger eye jewelry, blue topaz jewelry, Botswana agate jewelry, golden rutile jewelry, and many more.

Within our blue tiger eye jewelry range, you will find blue tiger eye rings, blue tiger eye pendants, blue tiger eye earrings, blue tiger eye necklaces, and blue tiger eye bracelets. All of our blue tiger eye jewelry is handmade, which is why it is statement jewelry and it has a bold and unique look. Apart from gemstone jewelry, we also sell birthstone jewelry and silver chains that complement those birthstone pieces very well. So, before leaving this blog, do check out Sagacia Jewelry’s website and if you like any of our jewelry, then do order it. After all, jewelry is not just an elegant addition to your wardrobe that draws attention and admiration, but it’s also an investment.