Stefano Ricci Cigar Cutter — Tiger Eye / Gold

Stefano Ricci Cigar Cutter — Tiger Eye / Gold

Not all stones are static. Tiger Eye belongs to the category of chatoyant gems — stones whose internal structure creates an optical phenomenon that moves. The parallel fibers of crocidolite within the quartz matrix reflect light along a single axis, producing a band of luminescence that shifts across the stone's surface as the viewing angle changes. The effect is the reason for the name: the same quality that makes a cat's iris appear to glow is at work in the stone. It is a quality that is difficult to understand from a photograph and immediately apparent in the hand. Stefano Ricci sets it into a gold finishing cigar cutter, pairing a stone that moves with a metal that simply stands and receives it.

Tiger Eye

The stone on this cutter is real Tiger Eye — a variety of macrocrystalline quartz in the golden to reddish-brown range, with the silky chatoyancy that defines the material. The precise band of reflected light narrows and expands as the cutter moves; the golden-brown tones deepen in shadow and brighten in direct light. No two stones carry exactly the same pattern of fiber distribution, which means the optical effect presents itself slightly differently in every piece. It is a stone that is more interesting the more it is handled.

Gold Finishing

The gold finishing on the cutter body works with Tiger Eye in a way that is almost tautological: both are warm, both are golden, and the combination creates a unified tone that is not competing with itself. The distinction between the matte-satin warmth of the stone and the polished warmth of the metal is where the interest lies — the same color family, two different surfaces.

The Cutter

The cutter delivers a precise, clean cut on premium cigars. The construction meets Stefano Ricci's standard for the collection. The Tiger Eye brings to it a quality shared by very few objects: it is more interesting in motion than at rest, and most objects cannot claim that.

Now available at The Tobacconist of Greenwich.