Jasper is a family of opaque stones: very fine-grained quartz colored by minerals mixed through it. That is why it comes in reds, browns, greens and yellows, in bands, spots and swirls.
Quartz (microcrystalline silica) · Chalcedony
Jasper
Jaspe
- Palette
- Red Brown Green Yellow Blue Multicolor
- Mined in
- United States, Russia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Australia, South Africa, Japan
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.5–7.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Greek iaspis, from a Semitic word; 'spotted or speckled stone'
- Also sold as
- picture jasper, red jasper, green jasper, yashpeh (Hebrew), iaspis (Greek)
- Intention
- Protection Calm
- Looking for
- Grounding Protection Patience Willpower
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Most jasper is sold natural, but some colors, such as bright blue 'sky' or 'Swiss' jasper, are dyed and stabilized.
Not in our pieces now
FLINDERS PETRIE
Archaeologist Flinders Petrie suggested that the first stone on the biblical high priest's breastplate was red jasper.
IASPIS
The ancient Greek word iaspis often meant a green, translucent stone, even nephrite, not the opaque jasper of today.
What it is
Jasper is the opaque, impure form of chalcedony: very fine-grained quartz colored by iron and other minerals mixed through it. As beads it shows solid color or bands, spots, swirls and breccia patterns; red from iron is the most common, with browns, greens and yellows.
What gives it its color
Jasper gets its colors from other minerals mixed into the silica: hematite (iron oxide) for red, goethite for yellow and brown, and chlorite for green.
Where it comes from
Jasper is found worldwide; named sources include Purbalingga in Indonesia, Oregon and Idaho in the United States, Western Australia, Madagascar, Russia, Japan and South Africa.
In history
Jasper of every kind is among the oldest worked stones: toolmakers at Mehrgarh in South Asia used green jasper for bow drills in the 5th to 4th millennium BC, and Minoan craftsmen carved it into seals around 1800 BC. Roman naturalists sorted jaspers by color and listed seal-stone grades among them.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, jasper is the steady, grounding stone. People keep it for stability, and it has been called a supreme nurturer.
In older gem lore, green jasper was said to bring rain and keep away evil spirits, and Minoan carvers made seals from it. Today it is worn on the wrist or carried in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, or in the hand.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, jasper is paired with the root chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, in a pocket, in the hand. People reach for it when they want grounding, protection, patience, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot
ZodiacLeo
BirthstoneMarch
ElementEarth
Also calledpicture jasper, red jasper, green jasper
Care
- Hard and durable; fine for everyday wear.
- Wipe with a soft cloth and mild soapy water, then dry.
- Dyed jasper beads can lose color with long soaking, harsh cleaners or strong sun.
- Store apart from harder stones such as sapphire or diamond.
How to tell what you have
- Jasper is opaque fine-grained quartz, hardness 6.5 to 7, colored by iron and other minerals, with solid color, bands, spots or breccia patterns. Natural jasper is mostly red, brown, yellow or green; blue is very rare.
- Bright blue, pink or neon jasper is probably dyed: look for color pooling at the drill hole or color rubbing onto a cotton swab.
What sets the price
Price follows how striking the color and pattern are and how well the beads are polished and shaped; vivid colors and picture-like patterns cost more than muted plain stone. Dyed jasper is cheap bright color rather than a natural one.
Rules and sourcing
Some jasper colors, such as bright blue sky or Swiss jasper, are dyed and stabilized. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye or stabilizing.
Questions people ask at our table
What is jasper?
Jasper is an opaque kind of chalcedony, a very fine-grained quartz. Its colors and patterns come from other minerals mixed in as it formed.
Is jasper natural or dyed?
The stone itself is natural. Some beads are dyed to deepen or change color, and very bright, even blues or pinks are a hint of dye.
Is ocean jasper really jasper?
Strictly it is a silicified volcanic rock with a round, orbicular pattern, sold under the jasper name. It is still a hard quartz-rich stone.
Does jasper fade?
Natural jasper color is stable. Dyed beads can lighten with strong sun or harsh cleaners.
Where is jasper found?
Almost everywhere. Well-known sources include the western United States, Russia, Indonesia, Madagascar and Australia.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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