BAGUIO CITY ? The Year of the Tiger promises to be just like last year.

Thus Alice Shakya, who owns Namaste, a Nepalese-Tibetan store here, says it?s better to hold on to the lucky charms bought last year.

?Hold on to your jade and tourmaline. They will be stronger,? she said.

These two stones, she said, were decided by Eastern geomancers as the stones best able to weather the global recession.

This year, citrine and tiger?s eye just might do the same trick, she said.

?Jade?s power would still be emphasized, but you have to add tiger?s eye and citrine,? she said.

Tiger?s eye is a good grounding stone and necessary if one wants to make changes in his or her life, Shakya said.

The stone, which is usually brown but also comes in red and blue, has the same qualities of a tiger, which is patient, focused, determined, alert, with perfect timing and slow, deliberate actions, she said.

It prevents chaos even in personal relationships, she added.

Shakya?s shop sells tiger?s eye beads from P45 to P65 each. She said some tiger?s eye beads sold in stores here are cheaper because these are already compressed or pulverized and then made solid with resin.

?These are much lighter than the original,? Shakya said.

The original ones are found in Africa, Peru and South America.

Tiger?s eye, she said, was used to treat disorders of the eyes, the throat and reproductive system. It also aids in night vision, helps align spinal column and heal broken bones, wounds and bruises.

Namaste sells larger tiger?s eye set as pendants at between P2,000 and P3,000.

The other auspicious stone for the Year of the Metal Tiger is citrine.

Shakya said citrine, also known as a merchant stone, was golden or light yellow quartz.

She said it was the best stone to use when taking care of business and education-related enterprise or keeping house.

?It keeps one from getting too greedy and materialistic,? she said.

Citrine beads are pricier than tiger?s eye and sells in Namaste for P150 a bead.