A natural tiger eye of 11 carats, about 12.09 ratti, at Rs. 1,730 – roughly Rs. 157 per carat.

A real oval, and the only one here we will call that

"Oval cabochon" gets written on almost any domed stone, so it is worth earning. Measured from the photograph, this stone's outline fills 77.9% of its bounding box, and a perfect ellipse fills 78.5%. Across the six stones in this category that figure runs from 73% to 88%, so this one is the closest here to a true ellipse – evenly curved, with no flattened sides or squared ends. It is about 1.25 times as long as it is wide, a conventional oval proportion.

It is also the only one of the six whose shape is recorded on the site at all, and the record says oval.

The practical benefit is simple: a clean elliptical outline at ordinary proportions drops into a standard oval mount, where a barrel or an uneven stone needs a setting built around it.

The strongest band of the six

Chatoyancy is the point of tiger eye, so it is measured here rather than asserted. Slicing the stone along eighteen directions and looking for the one in which the lightness varies most from slice to slice gives both the fibre direction and the strength of the banding. On this stone that comes to 33.9% of its mean lightness – the highest of the six, where the quietest measures 22.6%.

In the hand that means a distinct bright band that travels across the dome as you turn it, rather than a vague sheen. Tilt it under a single lamp, not a diffused one, and you will see it move.

What causes it

Tiger eye is built of fibres lying parallel to one another. Light reflecting off all of them at once gathers into one bright line at right angles to the fibres, and the line shifts as the angle changes. That is chatoyancy, from the French for cat's eye. The old account was that quartz replaced fibres of crocidolite and kept their arrangement; the view now preferred is that the two grew together. Either way the fibrous structure is what you are buying.

Tiger eye is a quartz and sits at Mohs 7, which is hard enough to wear in a ring every day without the polish going dull. In Urdu the stone is chashm-e-babri.

Colour and treatment, plainly

About 82% of this stone's face reads as golden brown, the natural colour of the material. The red and some of the blue tiger eye on the market is produced by heating or dyeing, which is the usual treatment here and worth knowing before you buy any tiger eye anywhere.

This stone has no laboratory report and its treatment has not been tested, so that is the norm for the material rather than a finding about this piece.

Care and ordering

Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth. Avoid harsh cleaners and prolonged direct sun. One stone, sold once. Message us on WhatsApp for more photographs, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural tiger eye with a weight of 11 Carat. Its price is Rs. 1,730 — roughly Rs. 157 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000479 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

From six carats up a stone becomes the centre of attention. It wants a broader shank or a secure claw setting and suits an occasion ring, a signet or a centre pendant. Clean natural material of this size turns up far less often, and the per-carat rate reflects that.

On the Mohs scale tiger eye rates 7. It handles daily wear, but a hard knock can still nick an exposed corner, so a protective setting is a sensible choice. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and keep it away from abrasive cleaners and high heat.

Whoever you buy tiger eye from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every tiger eye for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Tiger eye is usually untreated; red and some blue colours are produced by heating or dyeing. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.