The Multi Facets of Jasper
22nd October 2019
Jasper comes from the name Iaspis which means «spotted or speckled stone». It is a mineral part of the Quartz family and of the Chalcedony species, it is composed of silicon and oxygen, SiO2, has a vitreous lustre and a hardness of 7 on Mohs scale.
This gemstone is fascinating for its diverse patterns: rings, waves, stripes and gradient colors create impressive drawings that raise the stone’s desirability. Jasper is distinguished from other Quartz stones for its patterns and its strong opacity: no jasper has a translucent neither a transparent body.
Jasper is declined in many variations depending on its origin and color design. Most of the time it appears red, orange, brown or green, but it can actually be of any color.
Jasper's Varieties. Legends on pictures.
Jasper has a long history in human use: archeologists estimate that the carved stones found in some historical sites were used as seals 4 thousand years ago.
This stone is sourced worldwide with major sources in Russia, India, Brazil and USA. Because of its abundant extraction, jasper is a fairly affordable stone, however, back in the Antiquity it was considered as a highly valuable gem and very appreciated for its spiritual properties. What does the Guru say? Depending on its color, jasper can have different assets but it is overall described as a healing stone, having the ability to connect the wearer with nature and raising motivation and creativity.
Indian Blanket Jasper
There are various types of jasper, but the most popular are the following:
-Ocean Jasper: only found in Madagascar. Presents concentric rings and «eyes» patterns.
-Green Jasper: especially found in Madagascar and South Africa. Any specific pattern, light to dark green color.
-Leopard Jasper: sourced in Australia, South Africa and Mexico. Very popular for its spots describing the leopard skin.
-Red Jasper: mostly found in USA. Look like marble with some thin black or white irregular lines, but can also be plain red.
-Zebra Jasper: found in Africa, Russia and India. Usually white or beige body color with black stripes and spots.
-Ribbon Jasper: presents stripes and curvy lines, most of time brown or grey color.
Different Types of Jasper. Legends on pictures.
Back in the XIXth, jasper was very popular when carved for cameos, it is now rather seen as cabochon cut stones or beads in jewelry. Thanks to its smooth surface and hardness, jewelers can also sculpt this gemstone to give new shapes, imitate animals’ lines and flowers’ curves.
In high jewellery, jasper is still a discreet gemstone and only a handful of jewelers dare to integrate it in a few of their creations.
Precious Objects & Jewellery Jasper Creations. Legends on pictures.