Jasper

Description

Jasper is a microcrystalline variety of Quartz, a silicon dioxide mineral with a hardness of 6.5 to 7. Its crystal system is hexagonal (trigonal). In Jasper, the Quartz micrystals are laid out in sugur-like grains, rather than the fibrous layers found in its close relative, Chalcedony. The name Jasper is derived from a Greek word meaning ‘spotted stone’. Jasper can include up to 20% foreign materials, which account for its wide variety of colors and patterns. It occurs in nodules or as filling in fissures. Jaspers are found all over the world, including important deposits in India, Russia, Brazil, France, Germany and the USA.