Hawk's Eye & Eagle's Eye Stone Properties, Meanings, & Uses

When it comes to captivating stones, tiger's eye is one of the most widely known stones that exhibits chatoyancy. However, don't overlook hawk's eye and eagle's eye. While the stones share some physical characteristics and have similar names, they're not the same gem. As a result, adding both to your collection is worth considering, particularly if you enjoy gemstones with an optical effect.

If you'd like to learn more about hawk's eye and eagle's eye, here's what you need to know about their properties, meanings, uses, and more.

Hawk's Eye and Eagle's Eye: Similar Names but Different Stones

What Is Hawk's Eye Stone?

The hawk's eye stone is fibrous quartz, technically classified as a quartz pseudomorph that began life as crocidolite. Generally, it's an opaque or slightly translucent stone that readily accepts a polish, resulting in a nice sheen. Additionally, the fibrous elements create a visual effect known as chatoyancy.

Hawk's eye is typically blue, with some pieces leaning toward gray while others may appear slightly green. The coloring is a result of reduced iron levels as the crocidolite transforms. When the iron levels remain high, the color ends up golden, and that version is called tiger's eye.

What Is Eagle's Eye Stone?

Eagle's eye is also called pietersite, and it's an aggregate of hawk's eye and tiger's eye. As a result, the coloring is more varied than you find with hawk's eye or tiger's eye, often including shades of blue, gray, amber, and brown. However, it maintains the blue-hued chatoyancy you would expect to see in the stone.

Like hawk's eye, eagle's eye is usually opaque or mildly transparent. It also polishes well, leading to a slight glow, particularly when it's cut to accentuate the chatoyancy.

Where Are Hawk's Eye and Eagle's Eye Stones Found?

Where Is Hawk's Eye Stone Found?

Primarily, hawk's eye is found in South Africa and Thailand, and those locations serve as the main sources of commercial hawk's eye. However, deposits have also been located in Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Korea, Myanmar, Namibia, Spain, and the United States.

Where Is Eagle's Eye Stone Found?

Currently, there are two primary sources of the eagle's eye stone. It's mined in both Namibia and China.

Hawk's Eye Stone History and Mythology

Hawk's eye was first collected during the early 1800s, with the initial pieces being unearthed in South Africa. Naturalist and explorer Martin Hinrich Lichtenstein examined and described the stone and sent the minerals off for further evaluation in Europe.

Since the stone is technically a newer discovery from a scientific perspective, there isn't much mythology associated with it, especially when compared to its golden brother, the tiger's eye. However, some cultures associate it with good luck, wealth, energy, and protection.

Eagle's Eye Stone History and Mythology

Generally, the eagle's eye stone isn't known for its long history or distinct mythology since it wasn't formally described until incredibly recently. Sid Pieters noticed the stone while prospecting in the farmland of Namibia during the early 1960s. He quickly registered his find in Britain, and the stone was formally dubbed pietersite.

Since its discovery was more recent than many other stones, there isn't a clear connection to a cultural significance in the region. However, people have since connected it to various spiritual meanings and metaphysical properties.

Hawk's Eye Stone Meaning and Metaphysical Properties

The meaning of hawk's eye and its associated metaphysical properties vary depending on a person's belief system. However, many consider it a good luck charm and feel it assists in various spiritual matters and emotional healing. It's also considered an introspective stone that can help someone overcome challenges and develop intuition. Some also connect hawk's eye with astral travel.

Hawk's eye is also connected with having a keen eye for identifying obstacles before they become problematic. It's similarly associated with being able to see the big picture, making it easier to navigate complex business situations and develop critical alliances.

Eagle's Eye Stone Meaning and Metaphysical Properties

While the eagle's eye stone meaning and proposed metaphysical properties vary by belief system, most consider it a grounding stone. It's said to help maintain an earthly connection with spirit even during spiritual ventures, creating a sense of balance between the two.

Additionally, it's said that the eagle's eye gem can promote emotional balance. It's believed it can create a sense of calm during challenging situations, making it easier to think clearly. Some feel it can clear negativity, and emotions too, as well as eliminate feelings of fear and self-doubt.

Finally, eagle's eye is believed to promote creativity, primarily by removing blockages. As a result, some turn to it when working on artistic endeavors or when needing unconventional solutions to problems.

Common Questions About Hawk's Eye and Eagle's Eye Stones

What Is Hawk's Eye Stone Good For?

Generally, the hawk's eye gemstone is considered a good stone for introspection, allowing a person to dive into their own mind and find the answers they're after. Additionally, it's said to support intuition, which is closely related to introspection.

However, intuition is often attributed to greater awareness, even if it's primarily subconscious knowledge. As a result, some believe it this ability could help a person maintain perspective, identify subtle opportunities, and otherwise find an appropriate path to follow.

Are Hawks Eye and Blue Tigers Eye the Same?

Blue tiger's eye and hawk's eye are the same stone. The name blue tiger's eye is simply an alternative to hawk's eye. Largely, this is simply because more people are familiar with tiger's eye, so referring to hawk's eye as a blue form of tiger's eye makes it easier to envision what the stone looks like, making it a popular alternative.

Is Hawk's Eye Toxic?

Some people worry whether hawk's eye is toxic or dangerous to wear since the fibers that create the chatoyancy are asbestos and actinolite fibers. While both are potentially hazardous if inhaled, they don't present much risk when the fibers are contained within a stone. As a result, the greatest danger is only present when the gem is cut or polished, not when it's simply worn or held.

What Chakra is Eagle Eye Stone?

The chakra associated with the eagle eye stone can vary, primarily because it can exhibit a range of hues. However, many people relate it with the sacral and solar plexus chakras. The sacral and solar plexus chakras are commonly connected to tiger's eye, which could be one of the reasons that eagle's stones are treated similarly.

But the exact hue could alter the chakra that's associated with a particular piece of eagle's eye. As a result, its use can potentially expand to other chakras.

Is Eagle Eye Stone Rare?

Overall, the eagle's eye stone is considered rare. Along with the highly limited number of known sources, it isn't typically mined in large quantities. As a result, it's rarer than tiger's eye and hawk's eye.

However, even as a highly uncommon stone, the eagle's eye gem isn't inherently expensive. While it costs more than tiger's eye and hawk's eye in some cases, any price difference is usually minimal. Partially, that's because eagle's eye crystal isn't necessarily in high demand, which helps keep the price under control.

Is Falcon's Eye Stone the Same as Hawk's Eye?

Falcon's eye is another name used for the hawk's stone, so the two terms do refer to the same gemstone.

What Stones are Similar to Eagle Eye Stone and Hawk Eye Stone?

Stones Similar to Eagle's Eye

The stones that are most similar to eagle's eye in composition and core characteristics are hawk's eye and tiger eye. Both have chatoyancy, and the coloring can resemble what you find in eagle's eye in varying degrees.

However, those aren't the only potential options. A wide variety of gemstones can potentially exhibit chatoyancy. Plus, some are available in blue-gray hues. For example, moonstone can be a bluish-gray. The same is true of aquamarine and tourmaline crystals. As a result, if your goal is to find an alternative to gray versions of eagle's eye, those are strong contenders.

How to Spot Fake Eagle's Eye

Fortunately, fake eagle's eye gemstones aren't common in the market. Generally, this is because the stone is low-cost enough that creating faux versions isn't financially practical.

Additionally, while there may be glass or synthetic replicas, mimicking the cat's eye effect isn't easy. As a result, a lack of chatoyancy is commonly a clear indicator that the stone isn't authentic. Similarly, if the band of light doesn't move as you shift the position of the gemstone, that is typically a sign of a fake.

However, you may find natural eagle's eye gems that have undergone dying processes or other treatments to enhance their color. Again, this isn't necessarily common, but if the colors seem too vibrant or don't have natural variations, that should give you pause.

Stones Similar to Hawk's Eye

Generally, the stones that are most similar to hawk's eye are tiger's eye and eagle's eye. While the colors of the gems vary, the characteristic chatoyancy is present in all three stones.

However, the cat's eye trait – which is another way of referring to chatoyancy – is also potentially present in other stones. For example, chrysoberyl, apatite, aquamarine, iolite, kyanite, spinel, topaz, tourmaline, and many others can have cat's eye features. As a result, it's possible to find blue stones that exhibit chatoyancy that aren't hawk's eye.

How to Spot Fake Hawk's Eye

As with eagle's eye, identifying fake hawk's eye gemstones is tricky. Fortunately, there aren't many faux eagle's or hawks eye stones on the market, mainly because there aren't many lower-cost stones with the right characteristics.

Often, the greatest risk is that the stone is dyed or treated to enhance its color. In that case, the gem is potentially authentic, but the coloring is altered to achieve a preferred look.

In rare cases, glass or synthetic gemstones are designed to resemble hawk's eye. However, they usually don't feature the natural color variations or colored ribbons you'd find in the genuine article. Additionally, they might not have the proper chatoyancy, which is often the biggest clue the gemstone isn't authentic. When people attempt to replicate it, the band of light usually doesn't shift when viewed from other angles, giving you a clear indication that it isn't a genuine chatoyancy effect.