AllMineralsRock
Quartz Vs. Tigers Eye
Quartz is a very popular gemstone composed of silicon dioxide.[1] Tigers eye is a popular gemstone tiger's eye and its chemical composition is also silicon dioxide.[2]
Quick Facts on Differences of Quartz and Tigers Eye
For a quick recap of the differences quartz and tigers eye:- While both quartz and tigers eye can be opaque, quartz can be translucent or transparent.
- While both quartz and tigers eye can be hexagonal, in terms of crystallography, quartz can be trigonal.
- In terms of luster, quartz can be greasy, vitreous or waxy while tigers eye is silky.
- Quartz streaks white while tigers eye streaks brown or yellow.
- While both quartz and tigers eye can be commonly yellow, quartz is often red and tigers eye is often brown or multicolor.
Quick Facts on Similarities of Quartz and Tigers Eye
The similarities of quartz and tigers eye include:- For chemical formulas, quartz and tigers eye both are SiO2.
- Quartz's rarity is similar to tigers eye.
- Quartz's hardness is similar to tigers eye - they both are 7 on the Moh's scale.
Summary of Quartz
Quartz is a mineral that is composed of silicon and oxygen atoms arranged in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra. It is one of the most abundant minerals found in the Earth's crust. Quartz can be found in a variety of colors such as white, pink, purple, brown, gray, and black. It is also known for its unique crystal structure, which is hexagonal in shape, and its hardness, which is 7 on the Mohs scale.Summary of Tigers Eye
Tigers Eye is a mineral that belongs to the quartz family and is known for its unique golden-brown color with stripes that resemble those of a tiger. It is a metamorphic rock that is formed by the alteration of crocidolite, a blue asbestos mineral. The crocidolite fibers are replaced by quartz, which gives the stone its characteristic golden brown color.Table Comparison of Quartz vs Tigers Eye
| Quartz (src) | Tigers Eye (src) | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | transparent, translucent, opaque | opaque |
| Chemical Formula | SiO2 | SiO2 |
| Chemical Composition | silicon dioxide | silicon dioxide |
| Hardness | 7 | 7 |
| Streak | white | yellow, brown |
| Crystallography | hexagonal, trigonal | hexagonal |
| Hydrous | No | No |
| Colors | common: red, yellow sometimes: blue, gray, pink, black, brown, green, white, orange, purple, violet, colorless, multicolor |
common: brown, yellow, multicolor |