Cut, Treatment, and Imitation
The gems are usually cut en cabochon in order to best display their chatoyancy. Red stones are brought about through gentle heat treatment. Dark stones have had their colors improved and been artificially lightened using nitric acid treatments.
Honey-colored stones have been used to imitate the much higher valued cat's eye chrysoberyl (cymophane), but the overall effect is unconvincing. Artificial fiberoptic glass is a common imitation of tiger's eye, and is produced in a wide range of colors. Tiger's Eye mostly comes from South Africa and East Asia.
Read more about this topic: Tiger's Eye
Famous quotes containing the word imitation:
“Art begins in imitation and ends in innovation.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)