Jasper is a fast favorite among those who collect stones. It’s also among the stones that I find the most fascinating, as you’ll rarely know exactly what you’re going to end up with when you slice them open. There are hundreds of different varieties, mostly dependent on the locale. And not every stone that’s called “jasper” is actually of the same type.
So, let’s take a look at some types of jasper to help you see if you’ve got a new favorite, or just to take a look at some of the beautiful products the Earth produces.
Related: Jasper: Ultimate Guide To Collecting Jasper (What It Is and How To Find It)
What is Jasper?
Jasper is a form of cryptocrystalline silica. Specifically, it’s an opaque variety of chalcedony. Chalcedony itself is a complex intermixture of microscopic crystals of quartz and its polymorph moganite, combined at such a small level that it takes a thin slice and a microscope to make it out. To the unaided eye, it appears to be a smooth, waxy stone.
Jasper has long been a favorite due to the sheer variety of materials that can be found in the wild. No two nodules are exactly alike, owing their colors to various impurities within the stone itself.
As a general rule, jasper is suitable for jewelry. It generally has a hardness of 7.0 on the Moh’s scale, which makes it suitable for everything from rings to bracelets, which isn’t possible with all stones.
Not all jaspers are equal. Some will be a bit more coarse, which makes them a bit rougher to work, while the “fine” jaspers are every bit as hard and smooth as any form of translucent chalcedony. For lapidaries, this only means a little bit more work, but jasper is also a favored material of flintknappers, who may heat treat those that have a coarser grain to make them flake more easily.
Rather than going over dozens of locales, we’re going to focus primarily on the types of jasper and then we’ll discuss some locations where they can be found.
1. Red Jasper
Red jasper is the most common type. Indeed, it was the only variety of opaque chalcedony which was originally called by the name. It ranges from a rusty red-brown to a bright scarlet depending on the levels of iron oxide that are trapped within the crystalline lattice of the stone.
Red jasper is a rather common stone, especially if you’re not looking for something with a deep crimson coloration. There are great samples to be found in the majority of places where jasper is present, often interwoven with black or white lines that break through on occasion.
The majority of commercially available material of this type of jasper is found in Madagascar, which consistently produces deep red jaspers with the occasional touch of yellow or green that come from other forms of oxidized iron.
2. Imperial Jasper
Imperial jasper is among the “fine” jaspers, and it actually refers to a wide variety of jasper found in an area roughly 50 miles north of Guadalajara. The defining characteristics of this type of jasper are mainly due to its smooth and fine grain, which makes it easy to work with.
These types of jasper range widely in color. The formation covers an area roughly 3.5 miles long and the mines produce an impressive amount of the material with different veins holding different colors.
The most sought-after subtype is known as Royal Imperial Jasper, which is exceptional even among these stones. While often subtle in coloration, Royal Imperial Jasper is exceptionally fine-grained and is only found in small nodules with a chalky matrix, making it even more expensive than the standard stuff.
3. Landscape Jasper
Landscape jaspers are a type of jasper that’s known for its picturesque images. These often evoke landscapes. These are also called picture jaspers on occasion, depending on the locality. The most commonly known type is Owyhee Picture Jasper, which is world-famous for creating the impression of rolling, brown hills which often seem to fall under a blue sky.
In addition to Owyhee, two other varieties found in the Northwestern United States are Biggs and Deschutes picture jaspers. Deschutes jasper tends to be largely brown with a slight reddish tint and complex patterns, while Biggs Jasper often creates the impression of looking down over a brown landscape.
These types of jasper have an interesting origin. It appears that the material was originally in a colloidal form after water swept through volcanic ash and collected iron and silica in a colloidal solution. After the next eruption, the water contained within it was released as super-heated steam, causing various ripples as the pressure and heat washed over them.
4. Brecciated Jasper
Brecciated jasper resembles a broken jasper roughly put back together. The term brecciated is an evolution of breccia, which is a geological term for broken rocks. They’re most often found in areas that are prone to earthquakes, such as coastal California.
The stone generally consists of red and yellow jasper pieces that have sharp edges. The general idea is that the stone was cracked during tectonic activity before it was re-formed and cemented under the earth. Often, these jaspers will seem to be cemented together with clear chalcedony, giving them a distinctive look.
While the majority of the material is red and yellow, at times you’ll find nodules that contain blue, green, or even white jasper. Unlike most jaspers, brecciated jasper often has a 3D effect after being polished properly, since the chalcedony cement allows one to see a few millimeters into the stone.
5. Jasp-Agate
Jasp-agate, or agate jasper, is a formation of jasper that’s interspersed with agate. Agate generally refers to any transparent variety of chalcedony that has extensive inclusions, and these stones will generally have sections that allow light to pass through once slabbed.
These are distinct from agates which are heavily included, such as plume agate, due to the fact that the jasper is a distinct stone and not simply crystalline metallic salts contained within the stone. These stones are often brecciated as well.
Jasp-agates are an uncommon find in most places that have both jasper and agate present. One area where they’re particularly common is in certain regions of the Mojave desert in Southern California and Arizona. These stones are almost always distinct from each other, and each is a unique treasure.
6. Mookaite
Mookaite refers to a polychromatic (multi-colored) jasper found in Australia. While many type localities are a bit less than distinct, the appearance of mookaite is immediately recognizable for most rockhounds.
The stone consists of patterns of red, pink, yellow, and white jasper in complex patterns. These are often less distinct than other jaspers, causing the stone’s appearance to have something of a watercolor effect.
Mookaite is actually a fossiliferous stone. The ancient sediments that were present as the sea receded are sometimes found as casts within the mookaite itself. Due to the large formations of mookaite, it’s considered a chert by geologists, but the stone remains a perennial favorite of rockhounds despite only being found in Western Australia.
7. Morrisonite
Morrisonite is another of the fine jasper varieties. It emerged from the same region as Owyhee picture jasper, in the Southeastern corner of Oregon. It’s named after the man who originally found it, James Morrison.
It’s a very fine-grained jasper, with exceptional hardness. In general, it resembles brecciated and landscape jaspers but is most often found with unique pastel tones. These range from green to blue to yellow and red depending on the piece.
Unfortunately, the mines were declared unsafe and dynamited by the BLM in 1996. This means those looking for samples will have to purchase old stock, and Morrisonite is among the most expensive jaspers available.
8. Heliotrope (Bloodstone)
Heliotrope, also known as bloodstone, is a form of dark green jasper with red inclusions. The patterns range from wide bands to small spots depending on the locality where it was found and the specific stone. It’s one of the few stones actually mentioned in ancient texts as having magical powers, specifically by Pliny the Elder.
Oddly, the stone seems to have caught the imagination of wide groups of people. Early Christians said the stone’s red coloration came from Jesus’ blood during the crucifixion, the gnostics claimed it made them live longer. In India, it had a reputation for stopping bleeding.
In actuality, this dark green jasper’s blood-red spots emerge from included hematite. The stone is a common find across the planet, and it can even be found in several areas in the United States for those looking to collect a sample of their own.
9. Jaspilite (Tiger Iron)
Jaspilite is the name used for stones cut from banded ironstone formations. These are complex formations that consist of alternating layers of blood-red hematite and low-iron chert or jasper that generally appear as alternating stripes of red and grey or black material.
Tiger iron is the name commonly used when this stone is cut as a gemstone. While there is jasper contained in the formation, often there may be metamorphic stones such as quartzite contained within the formation as well.
While banded iron formations are fairly rich in iron, they’re considered a very low-grade ore in most cases. Instead, the majority of this material ends up being removed to be cut for decorative objects or as gemstones for jewelry.
10. Orbicular Jasper
Orbicular jasper is a type of jasper that contains many little orbs of differing colors. The majority of this material hails from Madagascar, generally sold under the trade name of “Ocean Jasper.” It’s often green in color, but red, white, and yellow stones also exist.
The spheres that make up the “orbs” in a cut stone appear to be either quartz or feldspar. The hypothesis behind their formation has to do with rapid formation around the nucleus of the crystalline materials. This is similar to the amethystine grape agate, where amethyst forms into radial spheres comprised of needle-like crystals.
Orbicular jasper occasionally emerges from other regions, but several of the locations in Madagascar have been mined out. That said, there’s plenty of it to be found online and it remains relatively cheap. The sheer variety is hard to beat, there’s something for everyone.
11. Poppy Jasper
Poppy jasper is a unique type of jasper that shows “blooms” of color, most often red and yellow. Poppy jasper generally has a base color of red or pink, with yellow blooms showing across its surface. It is often fine-grained and has dark grey or black bands contained within it.
Poppy jasper is formed in areas with tectonic activity. What happens is that the material cracks after an earthquake, and later iron-rich waters deposit hematite within the cracks. This forms into blooms as it crystallizes within the jasper and causes the distinctive patterns that give poppy jasper its name.
Poppy jasper is only found in a few locations, due to the unique way in which it forms. The most popular of these stones comes from the area around Morgan Hill, California. While the jasper is increasingly rare, it remains in high demand and the high price makes it a tempting target for locals on the hunt for stones.
12. Kaleidoscope Jasper
Kaleidoscope jasper is a form of jasper that often bears brilliant colors in broad bands. These colors are often much brighter than that found in most jaspers, and some have a wooden pattern to them. It’s only found in a family-run mine in Oregon, but it’s unique enough that it bears discussing.
Kaleidoscope Jasper appears to be a form of fossilized wood for the most part. This petrified wood gives many of the distinctive patterns that can be found within the material. Some of this material even has a Shiller optical effect.
Since it’s only available in one location and is quite unique, this form of jasper can be quite expensive. For lapidaries, however, it’s often worth the price as the end result of cabbing and polishing this material is second-to-none in the world of jaspers. It can be found from the mine owners on eBay, where they use the handle lapidary_central.
4 Not-Quite Jaspers
Many things that people call jaspers… aren’t.
The world of trade names often complicates matters for purists. Jasper is often used to describe nearly any colorful stone that probably is silica-rich. Some of these are quite common and while beautiful… they’re not a jasper.
Let’s take a look at four of the most common.
Dalmatian Jasper
Dalmatian “jasper” is a black and white spotted rock that’s found in one region of Mexico. We’ve covered it in some detail before, but the short form is that it’s simply not a jasper at all. It’s not even a rhyolite.
Instead, dalmatian jasper is comprised of albite (a plagioclase feldspar mineral) and quartz in the white sections. The black portions of the stone, commonly assumed to be schorl, is actually a rare mineral called arfvedsonite. While definitely not a jasper, it still has a certain appeal.
Rainforest Jasper
Rainforest jasper is commonly sold online. It’s generally seen in red or green forms, with a brecciated pattern dotted with orbs similar to other orbicular jaspers. It’s not a jasper, instead, it’s a rhyolite that have a coarser structure than jaspers.
That said, the majority of this material is exceptionally fine-grained for a rhyolite and there’s no shame in cutting it into cabochons and carvings. It also means the material can be found in rather large pieces suitable for larger works like carvings and small statues. It’s still not a jasper, however.
Bumblebee Jasper
Perhaps the most egregious offender in this category is the stone commonly known as Bumblebee Jasper. It’s not a rhyolite, it’s not a jasper, it’s not quartz or quartzite. In fact, it contains no silica minerals at all. Instead, it’s a complex mixture of calcite, pyrite, hematite, and realgar. The crystalline structure of the calcite is interesting, but it’s not remotely related to silica minerals.
Precautions should be taken when cutting the stone because of the latter mineral. Realgar is an arsenic-containing mineral, which means that it’s rather dangerous. While you should already have an N95 or better when cutting stone, it’s a good idea to wear gloves as well. Once cut and polished, however, the material is safe to handle as long as you don’t chew on it.
Crocodile Jasper
While common knowledge holds that crocodile jasper is both a jasper and a fossil known as a stromatolite, further studies have shown this not to be the case. Instead, this stone is rhyolite that’s formed from quartz, potassium feldspar, albite, and aegirine.
The “stromatolites” that people long assumed formed the “eyes” on this stone are actually needles of amphibole minerals. It’s still a beautiful stone, and exceptionally fine-grained for a rhyolite.
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