DIY TIGER'S EYE ADVENTURE

In this quick and inexpensive tutorial, we are going to show you how to make a DIY Tiger's Eye Adventure. These excavations are super easy to make and are a great teaching resource to include in your next lesson or discussion about rocks, minerals, gemstones, and more.

 

Be sure to check out our free Digital Dig virtual gem mining. Answer trivia and earn points you can redeem for free tiger's eye, rocks, minerals, fossils, seashells, dig kits and more!

 

 

Materials:

Sand

Plaster of Paris

Water

Mixing Bowl

Wooden spoon

Measuring cups

Popsicle sticks – Popsicle sticks are inexpensive, readily available, and make great excavation tools.

Safety goggles or glasses – You we need to provide or borrow a set for each student.

Optional – Brushes and magnifying glasses.

Tumbled tiger's eye - You can buy a bag of beautifully tumbled tiger's eye online. These gemstones are gorgeous, reasonably, cheap, and are a fantastic gemstone to use in DIY dig kits.  

Any small container that will fit your specimens and allow room for the plaster mixture will work. I love rummaging through recycle bins for fun and unique containers I can use for excavations. For this tutorial I will use a paper pint sized milk carton. 

 

 

Check out hundreds of exciting and unique dig kits! Excavating Adventures has a kit for everyone. Explore dig kits filled with rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones, seashells, and even real tiger's eye!

 

Directions:

 

  1. Rinse out the milk carton and carefully peel open the top.
  2. Place the tiger's eye in the milk carton.
  3. Mix 1 cups sand with 1/3 cup Plaster of Paris.
  4. Add 1/3 cup of water and mix until you have a pancake batter consistency.
  5. Pour the mixture over the tiger's eye.
  6. Place the DIY Tiger's Eye Adventure in front of a fan overnight until it is completely dry. You will want to make sure to leave the top of the milk carton open so the excavation will dry.
  7. Cut and peel the milk carton away from the excavation. Place the excavation back in front of the fan if it is still wet. 
  8. Distribute the excavation, excavation tools, and safety goggles to your Excavating Adventurer and have fun watching them dig in and discover the awesome tiger's eye you have hidden inside.

 

Tiger's Eye Tales: Striped Marvels and Earthly Delights!

Fun Facts about Tiger's Eye:

  1. Tiger's Eye is a unique gemstone known for its mesmerizing golden to brown color with characteristic banding that resembles the eye of a tiger.

  2. It is a type of quartz gemstone and is formed through a natural process called pseudomorphism, where fibers of crocidolite mineral are replaced by quartz.

  3. Tiger's Eye is found in various parts of the world, including South Africa, Australia, India, and the United States.

  4. It has a silky luster and a smooth, chatoyant (cat's eye) effect, meaning it can display a captivating band of light that seems to move across its surface when properly cut and polished.

  5. The golden-brown color of Tiger's Eye is due to the presence of iron oxide within the stone.

  6. Ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Romans, valued Tiger's Eye for its beauty and believed it had protective qualities.

  7. Tiger's Eye is often used in jewelry, such as pendants, rings, and bracelets, to create unique and eye-catching pieces.

  8. The gemstone is associated with qualities like courage, strength, and confidence, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the "stone of power."

  9. Tiger's Eye is not as hard as some other gemstones, measuring 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It should be handled with care to avoid scratching or damaging its surface.

  10. It is believed that wearing or carrying Tiger's Eye can help enhance focus, promote harmony, and bring clarity of thought.

  11. Tiger's Eye has been used in various cultural traditions for centuries. In some cultures, it is believed to bring good luck and protect against negative energies.

  12. Some unique varieties of Tiger's Eye include "Hawk's Eye" (blue-gray color) and "Cat's Eye" (greenish-gray color), each with its own distinct beauty.

Remember, Tiger's Eye is a gemstone that showcases nature's artistic prowess, captivating us with its stunning appearance and distinctive features!


 

Take some time to explore the Excavating Adventures website. We have monthly excavations that get delivered right to your door, Build Your Own excavations, a blog filled with amazing excavation ideas, trivia, tons of free stuff and tiger's eye dig kits, and much, much, more!

 

Question 1: What gives Tiger's Eye its characteristic golden-brown color? A) Copper oxide B) Iron oxide C) Titanium oxide D) Calcium carbonate

Correct answer: B) Iron oxide

Question 2: What is the phenomenon called when Tiger's Eye displays a band of light that seems to move across its surface? A) Opalescence B) Iridescence C) Chatoyancy D) Luminescence

Correct answer: C) Chatoyancy

Question 3: Which ancient civilizations valued Tiger's Eye for its beauty and believed it had protective qualities? A) Mayans B) Egyptians C) Greeks D) Vikings

Correct answer: B) Egyptians

 

 

 

 

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