What is jasper?
The jasper stone is a type of chalcedony that contains impurities like iron oxide and clay. It is opaque and mostly red, green, yellow, brown in color, and rarely blue. Jasper is considered a stone of grounding and stability.
Jasper properties: Endless varieties in color and patterns
The name, jasper, comes from Greek, meaning ‘spotted stone’. A variety of chalcedony, jasper has a hardness on the Mohs scale of 6.5 to 7.0. This means that it polishes brilliantly and maintains its luster despite use.
The stone is impure quartz with microcrystals of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Up to 20% of the stone can be impurities. Iron oxides cause the common red color.
Because of the wide variety of colors and patterns and the excellent polish, jasper is valued for jewelry. And because it is so common, except for a few rare varieties, the stones are inexpensive.
Jasper color
What color is jasper? It is mostly red, green, yellow, brown in color, and rarely blue. The color of the stone is determined by the mineral composition of the area in which it formed. Manganese, for example, produces a blue color.
Julia Davidian Jasper earrings $187, SHOP NOW.
Jasper and the microcrystalline quartz family
Jasper is closely related to several other minerals: chalcedony, chrysoprase, nephrite, carnelian, and agate. All of these are also microcrystalline quartz minerals.
Normal quartz crystals are large as in clear quartz, smoky quartz, rose quartz, and amethyst. The microcrystalline structure produces microscopic crystals. This makes stones like jasper opaque while the large crystals can be water clear.
There are differences in the percentage of impurities. The greater the amount of impurities, such as the iron oxides or silicates, the denser the stone is. Agates can be almost transparent. Chalcedony is translucent. But jasper is always opaque.
History
JW Anderson Dalmatian Jasper asymmetric earrings $293, SHOP NOW.
The oldest jasper tools ever found were primitive axes among artifacts unearthed in the 1990s in the lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia. They were created by hominids from the early Pleistocene Epoch approximately 2.5 million years ago.
A more modern site has been dated to about 10,000 B.C. in Pennsylvania where evidence of mining for jasper by Paleolithic people has been found. The stone was used for arrowheads, knives, and jewelry.
In the city of Ur in Sumeria about 6000 years ago, one of the religious beliefs was that the flat earth was covered by three domes. The lowest dome was made of jasper and was the home of the stars.
Carved jasper was used as rings and seals by Minoans and Romans. Vases and bowls were carved by artisans as well as decorations for sword hilts.
In modern times, jasper has been used primarily for jewelry. Because it is opaque, the stone is rarely faceted. Most ornamentations use cabochons and oval flat stones as well as beads of varying sizes. Some veins come large and decorator pieces carved from the stone are also popular.
Types of jasper
There is a multitude of types. Jasper can be found all over the world on all seven continents. Some forms get their names from their colors: red jasper, green jasper, and yellow jasper.
Others are named for their patterns: picture, zebra, leopard, Picasso.
A few select types are named for their place of origin: Bigg’s jasper from Oregon, Bruneau jasper from Bruneau Canyon in Idaho, and Mookaite from Australia.
1. Red jasper
Adina Reyter Red Jasper, Rose Quartz & Diamond Leather Cord For Love Bracelet $675, SHOP NOW.
Red jasper, the commonest color, can be found literally everywhere. This hard stone has been used not just for jewelry, but also for tools and decorations for millennia.
Red jasper meaning and healing properties
What does red jasper do and what is red jasper good for? The red of the stone responds to the Root chakra, the stabilizing force in the body.
The root is your grounding power. It brings peace of mind, especially when reinforced by red jasper. Bringing tranquility and eliminating anxiety are just two of the benefits of the stone. Bowel or bladder problems, low back pain, and foot pain can indicate an imbalance of the Root chakra.
Should symptoms of dysfunction in this area occur, wearing red jasper may help restore your serenity?
2. Green jasper
Katie’s Cottage Barn African Jasper Mermaid Bracelet $46, SHOP NOW.
Green jasper, another variety well known to the ancients, owes its green hue to iron silicates.
Green jasper healing properties
Associated with the Heart chakra, green jasper enhances the balance and calmness provided by the Heart chakra. The stone provides the strength and endurance to survive long ailments and the energy to recover.
Known to indigenous tribes in the Americas for its ability to bring rain, the stone strengthens our connections to the waters of the earth and the land itself. It brings optimism and a positive outlook on life.
3. Yellow jasper
American West by Carolyn Pollack Yellow Jasper Bumble Bee Pendant Enhancer in Sterling Silver $110, SHOP NOW.
Yellow jasper varies from sunny yellow to mustard. The yellow is usually produced by inclusions of goethite, Fe2O3, or iron oxide (III).
Most yellow jasper comes from Russia, India, Venezuela, and Australia. Yellow jasper, like red, green, and bloodstone, has a hardness of 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs scale. It is primarily used in jewelry.
4. Blue jasper
Jia Jia Nevada Blue Jasper & Crystal Quartz Beaded Necklace $1540, SHOP NOW.
Blue jasper is one of the rarest varieties. The blue color is due to manganese oxide. Some of the best blue jasper is mined at Ettutkan Mountain, Staryi Sibay, and Bashkortostan, Russia.
A beautiful white stone with large inclusions of blue rock from Pakistan has been dubbed K2 Blue Jasper. However, this stone is not a jasper at all. It is azurite inclusions in granite. While very beautiful, it is not jasper.
5. Heliotrope
Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is a dark green jasper with specks of red hematite in it, looking like a blood spatter. The green in this jasper is due to the inclusions of chlorite and pyroxene. The red spatters are hematite.
Bloodstone is a traditional birthstone for March. Most bloodstone comes from India. Smaller deposits have been found in Brazil, Australia, China, Madagascar, and the United States.
6. Ocean jasper properties
Ocean Jasper palm stones $18, SHOP NOW.
This is another stone that isn’t jasper, but rather its cousin, chalcedony. This stone contains a multitude of round orbs embedded in the mineral, providing for fascinating patterns. It is only found in two locations, ten miles apart, on the northwestern shores of Madagascar.
Ocean jasper healing properties
The stone frees you of negative thoughts and emotions, allowing acceptance of the serenity of the sea. It relieves stress and aids in relaxation and meditation.
7. Dalmatian jasper
Bottega Veneta dalmatian jasper earrings $760, SHOP NOW.
Spotted black on white, like a Dalmatian puppy, this stone is just as fun and playful as the puppy. Wearing this stone makes it hard to hold onto anger and hurt feelings, easier to let the negative feelings leave your body and mind, increasing your happiness.
Purple Dalmatian jasper
Rarest of the colored jaspers, this purple stone is marked with black spots, similar to those on a Dalmatian’s coat. However, the background color is purple.
Located above the head, the Crown chakra is each person’s guide to spiritual enlightenment, wisdom, and a higher level of consciousness. The purple jasper enhances spiritual growth in these areas but is also light-hearted, infusing you with a sense of playfulness and fun.
8. Mookaite jasper
Tumbled Mookaite Jasper $6, SHOP NOW.
Mookaite jasper is usually yellow with orange, a bright cheery stone, from the Mooka Creek in the Kennedy Mountains in Western Australia. The find is relatively recent and the stones are becoming popular for jewelry.
Mookaite jasper healing properties
This Australian stone has multiple healing powers for the body, but it also helps the mind.
It tends to relieve your fears about aging, allowing you to accept the changes in your body. It takes away negative thoughts. Removed from the negativity, the aging process often slows. Your attitude stays young, and your enjoyment of life increases.
9. Picasso jasper
Gorjana Corina Pendant Necklace with a Black Picasso Jasper Stone $80, SHOP NOW.
This stone is not a jasper at all, but rather a metamorphic limestone, usually white, black, or grey. Its streaks and lines give it a modern appearance, like a painting.
A very positive stone, it helps to heal broken relationships. It promotes calmness, strength, and integrity within one’s self and between you and others around you.
10. Impression jasper
Sydney Evan 14K Yellow Gold & Impression Jasper Tiny Ohm Charm Beaded Bracelet $220, SHOP NOW.
Impression Jasper is also called Variscite or Natural Aqua Terra Jasper. It can be found in many colors and is a stone of tranquility and encouragement.
11. Rainforest jasper
Rainforest jasper is green rhyolite with yellow, white, and red inclusions.
Associated with the Heart chakra, it promotes love of the forests of the earth. It is a stone inextricably connected to happiness and peace and will bring those qualities into your life and your heart.
12. Picture jasper
Satya Jewelry Men’s Picture Jasper Bracelet $79, SHOP NOW.
Picture jasper is stone that has been broken and cracked by the tremendous forces that create jasper. These cracks and open places in the jasper are usually filled with mineral-rich water, leaving behind bands of color and often appearing to form pictures.
Two of the best localities for collecting picture jasper are in the northwest part of the United States.
13. Leopard jasper
Tumbled Leopard Jasper $2, SHOP NOW.
Spotted like leopard skin, this stone is more connected to the physical realm than the spiritual. Associated with the Root chakra, it gives us the strength and determination of the leopard during times of stress and physical illness.
14. Biggs jasper
Biggs jasper was found in a road cut during the construction of a highway near Biggs Junction, Oregon. Through the assistance of the road crew, enthusiasts were able to retrieve at least part of that deposit.
The stone is usually tan with dark brown lines networking across it. It often resembles mountains or trees and is very attractive. Other deposits were found later.
15. Imperial jasper
Spiderweb Imperial Jasper Towers $18, SHOP NOW.
Imperial jasper is a name given to deposits on the side of a canyon about 50 miles northwest of Guadalajara, Mexico. A section of land several square miles in the area is filled with large vugs. Vugs were once cavities in the rock, sometimes produced by gas bubbles in lava, which ultimately filled in with mineral-rich water. Minerals were deposited within the cavities.
This place is unique because most of the vugs produce very different jaspers. A variety called Spiderweb Imperial Jasper looks very different from Pink or Green Imperial Jasper.
Not far from this large area of deposits is a side canyon where the jasper nodules called Royal Imperial Jasper are found. These are found in large (several hundred pounds) oval-shaped rocks called thundereggs. A small percentage of the thundereggs contain the jaspers, which resemble the ones in Idaho.
16. Zebra jasper
One of the striped jaspers, black on white, zebra jasper helps to lift us out of lethargy and infuse us with energy. It focuses us on the present, preventing over-thinking, indecisiveness, and depression.
17. Bruneau jasper
Bruneau jasper is perhaps the best location for picture jasper. It lies at the bottom of the Bruneau River Canyon in Idaho. The stones have a unique pattern, looking like multiple ovals overlapping each other. Some of the best stones have blue ‘skies’ over mountains.
The material from this locality is rare because a dam submerged the site several years ago. Another well-known site is Llanddwyn Island in Wales, United Kingdom.
18. Fancy jasper
Satya Jewelry The Grounding Mala Necklace with Fancy Jasper Stones $99, SHOP NOW.
Fancy jasper features teal blue color along with earthy greens, rust red, a hint of beige, and dusky rose. This gemstone is thought to help with focus, creativity, and grounding.
19. Turquoise Jasper
Kendra Scott Cade Oxidized Sterling Silver Corded Bracelet In Turquoise Jasper $78, SHOP NOW.
Turquoise Jasper has turquoise blue color and a mix of black lines and dots. It can be used to imitate turquoise but property-wise, Turquoise Jasper is harder and more durable than the latter.
Jasper meaning
What does jasper mean? Jasper is known as the Supreme Nurturer, a stone that in all its manifestations and colors breathes a warm welcome and soothes the mind.
Jasper brings joy and encourages the one who carries it to spread that joy to others. It allows the bearer to recognize those that are isolated and in need.
When worn, jasper sharpens the mind and protects from both physical and psychological dangers. It brings peace and stillness during periods of stress and fear and bolsters courage, enabling the bearer to face life’s problems steadfastly.
Jasper healing properties
Sydney Evan 14K Yellow Gold, Cream Jasper, Diamond & Sapphire Hummingbird Charm Beaded Bracelet $495, SHOP NOW.
Physical healing properties
Wearing jasper is known to help heal the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, the skin, and the bladder. It promotes the absorption of manganese and iron in the body. The ancients used it to relieve the pain and swelling of gout and to allay abdominal discomfort.
Jasper, especially green jasper, improves blood circulation and strengthens the heart.
The immune system is bolstered with a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Wearing the stone helps to detoxify environmental pollutants and radiation. It is a potent restorative for the entire body during prolonged ailments and helps to re-energize you in recovery. Its healing powers are notable in digestive and genitourinary diseases.
Emotional and mental healing properties
Jasper stimulates the bearer to receive the warmth and joy of the stone. Inspiring creativity as well as assertiveness, the stone’s effects help to turn ideas into reality.
Jasper is the protecting stone, the shield that guards against negative emotions and promotes love and success.
Spiritual healing properties
The stone is not only a shield for protection but also a mirror. Wearing jasper makes you more honest with others and with yourself. You will find it difficult to dissemble while wearing jasper. The stone seems to require that we be honorable.
Above all, it is a supportive stone. You will find the courage, and the determination to do what you have to do in life.
Metaphysical healing properties of different types of jaspers
Jan Leslie Cylindrical Picture Jasper Bead Elastic Bracelet $125, SHOP NOW.
All the types of jasper have at least some of the aspects of the Supreme Nurturer, but each also has its own strengths.
All jaspers are associated with the chakras or energy centers of the body. The seven chakras are each tied to a particular color. The Crown is purple. The Third Eye is indigo. The Throat is blue, the Heart green, the Solar Plexus yellow, the Sacral orange, and Root is red.
Therefore, jasper stones of the appropriate color have influence over the matching chakra. For more information on the healing properties of different types of jasper, you can refer to the previous chapter Types of jasper.
How to cleanse jasper?
1. Use clear water
Jasper and its energy come from nature, so we can also use natural methods to help cleanse and purify the stone. Place the stone in a flowing stream or river and rinse it with water for 20 minutes before drying it.
If this is not possible, buy a bottle of mineral water and soak the crystal in it for 24 hours. This helps to remove the negative energy.
2. Smudging
To be honest, this is one of the most commonly used methods. All that we need to do is simply put the crystal in the room and let the smoke of essential oil, sage, or sandalwood ( please remember to use natural essential oil without added chemicals) work the magic.
3. Bury in the soil
This is the most powerful method. If the crystal has been owned by a sick person, then we strongly recommend using this method. After all, the crystal comes from the earth. Letting it go back to the original place for purification is the best.
Remember though to find an unpolluted place to do so. In addition, it is recommended that to bury for more than a month.
How to charge jasper stones?
1. Place it on a crystal cluster
Charging with a crystal cluster is the easiest and most convenient method. The crystal cluster itself has very strong energy. It can not only purify the stone but also charge it. All we need to do is to place the stone on the crystal cluster overnight.
2. In the moonlight
On the night of the full moon, place the crystals on a windowsill facing the moon. You can also place them outside if it is safe to do so. If needed, cover them with a glass jar or bowl to provide extra protection. Moonlight will charge the crystals overnight.
How is jasper formed?
Jaspers are derived from the compression of volcanic ash and fine pyroclastic particles that are compressed into a cement-like substance. The formation of the stone causes cracks and occasionally vugs (small cavities) in the rock.
Any opening into the stone can fill with mineral-rich water, depositing a vein of a different color. This leads to banding and seams running through the rock.
Some jaspers form pictures through the process of brecciation or breaking of the stone, sometimes on multiple occasions, leaving angular lines sketched across the face of the jasper.
Jaspers are often disparaged because there is a surfeit of them. Yet they are extraordinary stones, each one unique and often stunningly beautiful.
Location and production of jasper stones
Jaspers are found everywhere in the world although many locations are difficult to reach, providing challenges to collectors. Because of the abundance of jasper deposits in the world, the stone is very economical for buyers.
Natural and enhanced
It is sometimes man-made but not often. It just isn’t worth the production costs. The jasper stones are sometimes dyed to enhance colors, especially those with backgrounds that are white or light in shade.
How to identify jasper?
Jaspers can be difficult to identify, but determining the hardness and specific gravity, as well as taking a good look at the site it comes from, will generally insure a definitive identification.
Where to buy jasper jewelry?
If you want to buy jasper jewelry ranging from $20-$500, you can check Etsy. You can buy jasper jewelry like a jasper ring, a jasper necklace, or jasper earrings that are affordable and of high quality and have them delivered to your house fast.
Alternatively, if you want to buy high-end jasper jewelry ranging from $100-$2000, you can check Farfetch. They have luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Boucheron, Cartier, Chopard, David Morris, and De Beers, and designer brands that are unique and less well-known. You can also have all the products delivered to your home.
