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What is a tiger's eye?

Tiger's eye is a semiprecious quartz gem. Running through it is a luminescent (light-producing) band, like that of a cat's eye. The band in the gem consists of veins of parallel blue asbestos fibers, which are first altered to iron oxides and then replaced by silica (a white or colorless crystalline compound). The gem has a rich color that ranges from yellow to brown.

Source: The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed., vol. 11, p. 768.

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   3. What are the precious metals?
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