I think the right "unique" pattern would be neet ..ocasionally but to use it to replace exotic woods wouldn't do it for me. Kind of like a diamond vs. a cubic zirconia only in this case you could tell that it wasn't real.
Not everybody is into the exotic thing, but I am and just revel in the magical wood created by the good lord for us to enjoy...heck, I don't even like to use stain.
BigJim