Pietersite Jewelry
Known as the tempest stone. Tiger's eye and hawk's eye reforged by nature into stormy swirls
Unearthed Gemstones Pietersite Jewelry
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Hardness
6.5 - 7 (Durable): Great for daily wear.
Toughness
Good (Generally resistant to chipping under normal wear)
Mineral Family
Quartz
Transparency
Opaque
Crystal System
Trigonal
Lustre
Silky
What Is Pietersite?
Pietersite is often called the tempest stone, and one look explains why. It is essentially tiger's eye and hawk's eye that were shattered by earth movements and then naturally re-cemented by quartz, a process called brecciation. The result swirls gold, blue, grey and rust together in chaotic, storm-cloud patterns, with chatoyant flashes sweeping in every direction instead of one neat band. It was discovered by Sid Pieters in Namibia in 1962, and the only other significant source is Hunan province in China.
Is Pietersite Durable Enough for Everyday Jewelry?
With quartz's hardness of 6.5 to 7 and a well-knitted structure, pietersite handles daily wear comfortably. It is always cut as cabochons and beads, since a domed polish is what sets those stormy flashes moving. It is a favourite for dramatic pendants and men's rings.
How to Care for Pietersite Jewelry
Care is easy: warm, soapy water and a soft brush.
How to Tell If Pietersite Is Real
Its chaotic pattern is difficult to imitate convincingly, but its rarity attracts mislabelled tiger's eye, so look for that multidirectional storm-light effect.
Gemstones Similar to Pietersite
Pietersite is literally tiger's eye and hawk's eye, broken and reforged by nature into storm patterns.
