Pietersite
Variety of chalcedony
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pietersite is a commercial term for a variety of the mineral chalcedony. Originating from Namibia and China, where it is mined for use as a decorative stone due to its chaotic chatoyancy and brecciated structure.
| Pietersite | |
|---|---|
Polished pietersite | |
| General | |
| Category | Tectosilicate minerals |
| Group | Quartz group |
| Formula | SiO2 |
| IMA status | Variety of quartz (chalcedony) |
| Identification | |
| Color | Brown-red, blue-gray, yellow |
| Mohs scale hardness | 7 |
Ranging in colour from brownish-red, to blue-grey, and chatoyant yellow. The Chinese variety are predominantly a reddish-brown, with regions of chatoyant blue and yellow. The Namibian variety are less varied, being predominantly a chatoyant blue-grey, with less common reddish-browns and yellows.[1]
It was first described in Namibia in 1962[2] and was discovered in Xichuan - in the Henan Province of China - in 1966.[3]
Pietersite is often inaccurately described as a brecciated form of tiger's-eye or hawk's-eye, due to the brecciated texture containing chatoyant material. However, while they are similar mineralogically, pietersite is not a brecciated form of either. Instead, the chatoyancy is due to a shared mineral, crocidolite.[1]
