Tigers Eye Vs. Turquoise

Tigers eye is a popular gemstone tiger's eye composed of silicon dioxide.^[1] Turquoise is a very popular gemstone and its chemical composition is copper aluminum phosphate.^[2]

Quick Facts on Differences of Tigers Eye and Turquoise

For a quick recap of the differences tigers eye and turquoise:

• While both tigers eye and turquoise is opaque, turquoise can be translucent.
• In terms of crystallography, tigers eye is hexagonal while turquoise is triclinic.
• For chemical formulas, tigers eye is SiO2 while turquoise is CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8• 4H2O.
• In terms of luster, tigers eye is silky while turquoise can be dull, vitreous or waxy.
• Tigers eye streaks brown or yellow while turquoise streaks white.
• Tigers eye can be commonly brown, multicolor or yellow while turquoise is often blue or green.
• Tigers eye's rarity is less rare than turquoise.
• Tigers eye's hardness is higher than turquoise - tigers eye is 7 and turquoise ranges from 5 to 6 on the Moh's 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.

Summary of Turquoise

Turquoise is a mineral that is a blue to greenish-blue color, often with veins or web-like patterns of darker color running through it. It is a relatively soft mineral, with a Mohs hardness of between 5 and 6, and has been used for decorative purposes for thousands of years. One of the most famous sources of turquoise is the Southwest United States, particularly Arizona and New Mexico, but it can also be found in other parts of the world, such as Iran, Afghanistan, and China.

Table Comparison of Tigers Eye vs Turquoise