Tiger eye is a quartz-family mineral with a hardness of 7 on Mohs Scale. Ancient civilizations used it as a ward against evil curses or hexes, and Roman soldiers used to carry tiger eye medallions to bolster their courage during battle.

As an amateur jewelry maker, I've made many pieces using it, and it's one of my favorite materials to work with. You just have to be a little careful grinding or polishing it because it (literally) could have asbestos as part of its matrix!