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Jasper
Jasper is an opaque variety of Chalcedony
occurring in all colors. It is sometimes impure,
containing organic
material and iron oxides.
Jasper is a favorite among amateur gem cutters, for its abundance
and diversity is great. Some Jasper is banded, and
these banded Jaspers are also Agates.
When Jasper does not exhibit interesting colors or patterns, it
is known as Chert.
There are many types of Jasper, and many distinct names are given
to each type. Most names are only used locally, and new names are
made up every year. Below is a list of many of the Jasper names
seen on the market. The second list contains Jasper types that
are locally named for the area they occur in.
| Basanite
- Black, fine-grained variety of Jasper. Brecciated Jasper - Jasper in rounded fragments naturally cemented together in a gray material. Egyptian Jasper - Orbicular Jasper with white and gray circles on a red background. Found as rounded pebbles on the beaches of Washington and Egypt. Ferruginous Jasper - Jasper with iron impurities. Green Jasper - Jasper of a light to dark green color. Kinradite - Orbicular Jasper with rings of colorless or white Quartz. Leopard Jasper - Orbicular Jasper with a tan color, appearing as "leopard spots". Leopard Stone - Synonym of Leopard Jasper Morrisonite - Outstanding multicolored Jasper from the Owyhee River gorge (Malheur Co.), Oregon. Opal Jasper - Brecciated Jasper in which the cementing material is Opal. Orbicular Jasper - Jasper with rounded rings throughout the stone. Poppy Jasper - Yellow Orbicular Jasper with red rings. Poppy Stone - Synonym of Poppy Jasper Riband Jasper - Jasper used as a layer stone for engraving. Rogueite - Green Jasper from the Rogue River in Oregon Russian Jasper - Jasper from Russia, usually with reddish spots. Silex Jasper - Jasper with red and brown patches. |
List of local variety names and their occurrence.
| Biggs Jasper - Biggs,
Oregon Bruneau Jasper - Bruneau River, Idaho Cave Creek Jasper - Cave Creek (Maricopa Co.), Arizona Morgan Hill Jasper - Morgan Hill, California Ochoco Jasper - Ochoco Lake, Oregon Owyhee Jasper - Owyhee River gorge (Malheur Co.), Oregon. Stone Canyon Jasper - Brecciated Jasper from Stone Canyon (near San Miguel), California. |
Additional information on Agates can be found in "All about Chalcedony".
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