Red Tiger's Eye

Red tiger's eye starts as natural golden tiger's eye; its red colour is developed by heating or, in some pieces, added by dyeing. IGS lists Australia, China, Namibia, South Africa, England and the United States as sources of tiger's eye. The sources read do not document where the material is heated.

It shows the same silky moving band of light and fibrous structure as yellow tiger's eye, but in brown-red to dark red. Because heating is a standard treatment for this colour, red tiger's eye should be assumed to be treated unless shown otherwise; GIA notes that a qualified gemologist can detect dyed gems in most cases. Chatoyant glass and plastic made from fused optical fibres imitate cat's-eye stones in any colour.

IGS rates the wearability of tiger's eye as very good; it has a hardness of about 7 and no cleavage. For pieces that are dyed rather than heated, GIA advises avoiding solvents such as acetone or alcohol, which can dissolve dyes, and prolonged sunlight, which can fade them.