"Zebra jasper" is a trade name for black-and-white striped stone, and the beads are most often banded marble, a soft calcite rock, not a true jasper. Some sellers do list it as jasper. We do not carry it.
Rock (mixed minerals)
Zebra Jasper
Jaspe cebra
- Palette
- Black White
- Mined in
- India, Russia, Brazil, Australia
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.0–7.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- no formal date (bead-trade name)
- Named for
- its black-and-white stripes, like a zebra's coat
- Also sold as
- zebra stone, zebra marble, zebra rock
- Intention
- Protection Calm
- Looking for
- Grounding Calm Goals and motivation
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- What is done to beads sold as zebra jasper varies by lot: black-and-white ones are often natural banded marble, and brightly colored ones are usually not genuine and may be dyed.
Not in our pieces now
IASPIS
Jasper's name comes through Latin from the Greek iaspis, which means spotted or speckled stone.
MEHRGARH
Green jasper bow drills found at Mehrgarh date to the 4th or 5th millennium BC.
6.5 TO 7
Jasper rates 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale.
What it is
Opaque stone banded in black and white, sometimes brown or green, with stripes that run straight or wavy like a zebra's coat. "Zebra jasper" is a trade name used for several striped stones. The black-and-white beads are most often banded marble, a calcite rock, not a true jasper, though some sellers do list them as jasper.
What gives it its color
In the quartz-based jasper sold under this name, the white stripes are quartz and the dark stripes are iron oxides.
Where it comes from
Zebra jasper is reported as mined in Africa, Russia and India.
In history
Zebra jasper is a bead-trade name for striped jasper, and jasper has a long record: a red jasper male torso was found at Harappa in the Indus Valley, and a black jasper-like touchstone, the Lydian stone, was used to test precious metals by about 450 BC. Jasper seals were carved on Minoan Crete by about 1800 BC.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, zebra jasper is kept for balance between opposites, such as light and dark. People also keep it for grounding and steadiness.
Jasper in general is thought of as a grounding stone, and the name borrows that reputation.
People wear it as jewelry or carry it as a talisman. If it is marble, it is soft and best kept dry.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, as a talisman, or in a soft pouch.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, zebra jasper is paired with the root and crown chakras, 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, as a talisman. People reach for it when they want grounding, calm, goals and motivation, 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, Crown
ZodiacAries, Capricorn, Gemini, Libra, Virgo
ElementEarth
Also calledzebra stone, zebra marble, zebra rock
Care
- Hardness depends on what the bead really is: marble is about 3 like calcite, while a true jasper is 6.5 to 7. Assume soft until you know.
- Marble reacts to acid, so keep it away from vinegar, lemon juice and acidic cleaners.
- Wipe with a soft cloth and a little mild soap, then dry at once; skip soaking and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Store it in a soft pouch apart from harder stones.
- Brightly colored stripes that bleed on a damp cloth point to dye.
How to tell what you have
- Zebra jasper is a trade name for several striped stones. Black-and-white beads are most often banded marble, a soft calcite rock, and some are jasper or chalcedony, a hard quartz stone.
- Look out for color pooling in cracks and at the drill hole, and for very bright stripes, which point to dye.
- A scratch test and the weight help tell soft marble from hard jasper; ask the seller what the lot is.
Rules and sourcing
Black-and-white beads sold as zebra jasper are often natural banded marble, and brightly colored ones are usually not genuine and may be dyed. A seller should say what the bead actually is and disclose any dye.
Questions people ask at our table
What is zebra jasper?
A trade name for black-and-white striped stone. Most black-and-white beads sold under it are banded marble, which is a calcite rock, though some sellers call it jasper. We could not settle it from sources, so ask the seller what yours is.
Is zebra jasper a real jasper?
Usually not. Jasper is fine-grained quartz, while the common black-and-white zebra bead is marble, and the name is also used for other striped rocks. Some dealers do list it as a jasper, so the trade is not consistent.
How soft is it?
That depends on the material. Marble is about 3 on the Mohs scale, like calcite, and a jasper is 6.5 to 7. Assume it is soft; that is the safe choice.
Is it dyed?
Black and white is usually natural. Brightly colored stripes sold as zebra jasper can be dyed, and dye often pools in small cracks.
Can it get wet?
A quick wipe is fine, but if it is marble it reacts to acid and slowly dulls in water. Keep it away from soaking, vinegar and hand sanitizer.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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