Pietersite Inlay Pendant in 925 Sterling Silver – Ben Davis - Ed Lohman

I love pietersite. It looks almost 3D. Honestly, it looks almost black until you move it, and then all these golds and blues move across the stone.

The story of Pietersite only goes back to 1962, when Sid Pieters discovered the material in Namibia. Geologically, though, the stone itself has a much longer story. Pietersite is closely related to Tiger’s Eye and Hawk’s Eye and contains fibrous material that has been replaced by quartz while retaining its original structure, a process geologists call pseudomorphism. Those fibrous structures are responsible for the shifting, almost silky flash known as chatoyancy.

Good blue Pietersite can be particularly difficult to find, and that deep blue chatoyancy is a big part of what collectors look for. This cabochon has both the blue and golden colors showing through a very dark base, with the pattern changing depending on the angle and light.

Ben got the cabochon from the man who bought the mine from Sid Pieters and then gave the stone to Ed Lohman, who made the entire pendant in .925 sterling silver, including the detailed setting and custom Pietersite inlay bale. There’s a lot of silverwork here, but Ed kept the center open and uncomplicated so you can see nearly the entire face of the stone. It’s a really good example of both the material and the kind of inlay work Ed is known for.

• Natural Pietersite

• Blue and gold chatoyancy

• Namibian material

• Custom Pietersite inlay bale

• Handmade .925 sterling silver setting

• Ben Davis - Ed Lohman

• One-of-a-kind artisan pendant