Falcon Eye Stone: Identification, Uses, and Meaning

Falcon Eye stone is a beautiful stone with a gorgeous, glistening sheen.

Also called, Blue Tiger Eye, it gives of a gorgeous bluish hue with bands that gives the appearance of an eye.

It comprises silicone dioxide (or quartz) and other minerals arranged in a breathtaking way that only the earth can provide.

What Is Falcon Eye Stone?

Falcon Eye, also called Hawk eye, is a precious stone sharing the same family of mineral as Cat Eye and Tiger Eye.

People dub it “Blue Tiger Eye” because of the lustrous slate blue or grayish green sheen amid golden honey to red colors.

Chatoyancy ; Crocidolite

This illuminating sheen, called chatoyancy, comes from the fibrous structure created by the blue asbestos appearing in bands.

This structure, called crocidolite or ricbeckite, is a sodium-rich member of the silicate mineral family, otherwise known as amphiboles.

This is what produces the diverse grayish, slate blue hues but green can also be present.

These lines or bands produced in the stone are not perfectly straight, although they can be.

Most of the time, there is a twisted, wavy or corded appearance.

Where Do You Find Falcon Eye?

South Africa has the best and most abundant specimens of Falcon Eye, specifically around the Orange River.

But, it’s also plentiful in Australia, Namibia (Africa), California (USA), Mexico, Burma, India, Russia and Ukraine.

Can You Mistake Anything Else for Falcon Eye?

Falcon Eye is one of the easiest stones to mistake for a Tiger Eye or Cat Eye.

Therefore, calling it “Blue Tiger Eye” is not entirely correct.

Indeed, Falcon Eye shares many physical properties with a Tiger Eye but it’s actually closer to a Cat Eye.

To understand the difference, it’s best to examine these individually:

Tiger Eye

After Falcon eye, Tiger Eye has mostly microcrystalline quartz pseudomorphs, which creates a distinct structural and chemical change in the stone.

This makes the crocidolite fibers hydrous iron oxide (or limonite).

These produce the golden color with brown stripes that bend or twist from heavy concentrations of iron ions contained within the crocidolite.

Cat Eye

Also composing similar crocidolite bands, Cat Eye is perfectly straight which is how it greatly differs from Tiger Eye or Falcon Eye.

It’s this straightness that gives Cat Eye that look of actually being a feline’s eye when tumbled and polished into a sphere.

Falcon Eye vs. Tiger Eye vs. Cat Eye

Tiger Eye, Falcon Eye and Cat Eye all belong to the amphibole family of silicate minerals.

All three stones have that silky, glittery sheen.

Therefore, you can mistake one for the other with great alacrity.

However, Falcon Eye is either a precursor to or after effect of Tiger Eye, not a variation of it.

This is because of the tightly formed parallel crocidolite fibers.

This formation of bands is similar to Cat Eye, but it has a slightly different mineral composition.

Microcrystalline quartz either permeates or partially replaces these bands often seen in Tiger Eye and Cat Eye but not Falcon Eye.

Tiger Eye and Falcon Eye both have formations that replace the crocidolite (asbestiform riebeckite) with silica (or quartz).

True Cat Eye does not contain quartz and ones with it will have the label, “Cat Eye Quartz.”

Tiger Eye and Falcon Eye are variations of quartzite.

It’s because of this property that “Blue Tiger Eye” is another name for “Falcon Eye.”

How Do You Identify Falcon Eye?

Because of how easy it is to mistake a Falcon Eye for a Tiger Eye and Cat Eye, only a highly trained eye will be able to tell the difference on the spot.

The crowning feature of a Falcon Eye will be the pronounced appearance of a blue or green color in wavy lines with some amber gold to red.

Presence of Wavy Bands

There will be sheen along with bands of color that will be darker than the base color of the stone itself.

But, if there are spots or specks, chances are it’s a Tiger Eye, especially if there isn’t any blue or green present on the stone.

This means the iron content is high.

The lines of a Cat Eye can be light or dark whereas a Tiger Eye’s will only be dark.

Plus, all three stones can have a certain amount of magnetism due to the presence of iron and magnetite.

Falcon Eye will have the least amount of iron present.

Falcon Eye Scratch Test

The Falcon Eye sits between 6 and 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Therefore, you should be able to scratch the surface with anything like a piece of topaz, hardened steel or chromium.

Anything softer will experience scratching from the Falcon Eye.

For What Is Falcon Eye Stone Used?

People mostly use Falcon Eye as a precious collectible stone that makes a great cabochon for jewelry.

But it also makes a wonderful decorative element for picture frames, boxes, ashtrays, bottles, cabinets, chests and etc.

However, there are people who install slabs of it as countertops in kitchens and bathrooms.

Yet others include it as part of a mosaic laid flooring in these same rooms.

What Does a Falcon Eye Mean?

Because of this stone’s popularity in ancient Egypt and Rome, soldiers believed Falcon Eye would give them clarity and protection.

They also believed it allowed for clairvoyant experiences, giving the ability to anticipate and predict danger in battle.

In Egypt, the Falcon Eye was synonymous with the falcon-headed god, Horus.

Shamanic practices in Africa and South America determine the stone to bring happiness, balance, luck and good fortune to the one who wears it.

It has the capacity to cleanse the spirit and lift the heart.

Conclusion

Falcon Eye is a stunning and beautiful display of slate blue or grayish green hues with the classic cat eye effect.

This glistening sheen comes in bands that are wavy that reflects light.

Although it shares many similar qualities with Tiger Eye and Cat Eye, it’s different in appearance and mineral composition.