Stones with with hues of brown were probably smoky quartz. Blue would have been a type of chalcedony and green, chrysoprase. The stone referred to as pink jasper is likely to have been rose quartz. This is because at this time it was common for rocks and minerals to be grouped together according to their colour. There are indications that fluorite and even jade may also have been included in this group. It's widely believed "iaspis" was a generic name for translucent or transparent varieties of quartz not known by any other name. Smaragdos is known today as emerald.Īlthough documented as being green, some writers including Pliny claimed "iaspis" also occurred in blue, purple, pink and could even be colourless.
Some wrote it may also be cloudy and was often associated with "smaragdos". The stone they called "iaspis" was mostly described as being translucent. It was also used to for courage and determination.Īlthough known for thousands of years the stone referred to as "jasper" by ancient writers such as Theophrastus, Pliny the Elder and many others was not the same stone as the jasper we know today. In many ancient civilizations jasper was used as a talisman to ward off dark and negative forces. Throughout history is has been associated with strength, protection and grounding energy.
The meaning of jasper varies across cultures and traditions. This often causes a considerable amount of confusion for those trying to establish what the stone really is. The name is used because jasper is a well known, popular stone that occurs in a wide variety of colours and with many different markings. Kambaba and dalmatian jasper are perfect examples. The trade name "jasper" is often used for rocks and minerals that contain no jasper at all. There are hundreds of trade names but many including noreena, polychrome, poppy and imperial offer little or no clue as to the origins or characteristics of the stone. Red jasper whose colour comes from hematite is named for its brick-red colour. Mookaite from Western Australia is named after Mooka Creek. Landscape, scenic and picture jasper which are all types of mudstone exhibit markings that resemble a landscape. Names often relate to a specific characteristic or the locality where the material is found.ĭalmatian, leopardskin and zebra jasper all exhibit colour or markings similar to the respective animals. Many stones are given trade names to boost popularity and increase sales. Different varieties can be found in almost every country in the world. Well known for its variety of colours and markings jasper is widely used for decorative purposes.Ī relatively hard stone, jasper grades 6.5 to 7 on Mohs scale of hardness. Jasper can also develop through the crystallisation of hot solutions in cracks of igneous rocks. Patterns are often the result of the motion of natural forces that brought the sediment (or volcanic ash) together.
The different sediments determine the colour of the stone. The silica then acts like glue and cements everything together. This happens when groundwater containing silica that has seeped into sedimentary rock dries up. The formation of jasper can begin when loose sediments become stuck together. Stones can also exhibit many other colours. Whilst blue is rare, shades of red yellow and brown are common. They're rarely uniform and often overlap or merge into each other. Stones mostly exhibit more than one colour. Jasper is known for its vibrant colour and patterns. Impurities of chlorite can turn jasper green.
Impurities of clay cause a yellowish, white or grey colour and goethite introduces yellows and browns. The presence of iron oxides usually in the form of hematite turn jasper red. They're also responsible for its different colours and markings. Impurities are the reason why jasper is opaque. This is because although made up primarily of quartz and/or chalcedony it often features impurities of many other minerals and substances. Microcrystalline means its crystals are too small to be seen with the naked eye.Īlthough often referred to as a mineral some consider jasper to be a rock. Jasper is a microcrystalline variety of the mineral chalcedony. Jasper Stone Properties, Meaning, Facts and Photos Contents
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