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Pietersite

Pietersite is a rare dark gray or reddish breccia aggregate (fragments embedded in a matrix), of Hawks Eye and Tigers Eye.

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Pietersite from Namibia was first reported in 1962 by Sid Pieters, who named it in his father's honor. The term "Pietersite" is now used as a general term to describe brecciated Tigers Eye.

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*Pietersite is characterized by distinctive swirls or streaks of gold or orange, from Crocidolite inclusions within a microcrystalline silica host. Crocidolite is the material that creates the chatoyancy in Tigers Eye. 

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*The inclusions in Pietersite show unpredictable chatoyancy when polished. The inclusions are arranged in parallel lines and give the appearance of a continuous line in Tigers Eye.

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