Jasper
The broad family of opaque microcrystalline quartz. Patterned, earthy, global.
- Stone
- Microcrystalline quartz
- Major Sources
- Oregon, Idaho, Egypt & Madagascar
- Treatment
- Usually natural
Jasper is opaque, fine-grained quartz colored red, yellow, brown or green by iron oxides and other minerals mixed in as it formed. Many stones traded as jasper are really other rocks, and true jasper is sold raw, tumbled and as palm stones, spheres and slabs.
Read the Jasper GuideBefore You Buy Jasper
Jasper or agate?
Both are fine-grained quartz. Agate is translucent, so light glows through its thin edges, and it's usually banded. Jasper is opaque; even banded jasper blocks the light.
Is all jasper true jasper?
Not always. True jasper is opaque, fine-grained quartz. Ocean, leopard skin and Dalmatian jasper are trade names for other rocks, so the name tells you more about the look than the mineral.
Natural or dyed?
Usually natural. Jasper's reds, yellows and browns come from iron oxides mixed in as it formed, but some jasper is dyed or heated to change its color. We disclose all treatments on the product page.
Care
Jasper is hardy and easy to care for, at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Clean it with warm water and mild soap, dry it, and store it apart from softer stones it could scratch.






























































































































































































